Sailor Moon Sacrifice
by ButterflyMiko
Summary: Kurai Tsukino was an ordinary girl until she met a duck called Ahiru and became Sailor New Moon. Now her best friends are being targeted by Youma, and she is being tailed by the Starlights who insist they are her guardians and that her friends are Fallen Senshi. All the while the true enemy is someone close to her.
1. Sacrifice of the Past

**2500 B.C.**

**Silver Millenium, Moon**

**Silver Alliance **

"I present to you, she who has brought peace to our Galaxy at last, Queen Selene!" Luna called out.

Selene stood and was crowned by her two advisors, refugees from the now fallen planet Mau. A place ravaged by something called 'Chaos'. A shadow crossed the silver Queen's face, but then the smile returned as she met the eyes of her husband Raphael. He was an angel.

She smiled at him. In her rule she would be sure to join the Heaven's factions in an Alliance. As the music began and she was pulled into a dance, even she started to forget that this was her coronation party.

But so did they all. For one moment in history, the Mercurians with their powerful healing powers did not argue against the warlike Jovians, who hailed as the Grigori, and had a much more warlike way of dealing with things. No, it was something about the Moon itself that quieted the dispute to a dull roar. Enemies became rivals and rivals became friends.

Luna watched with joy until Setsuna, daughter of Chronos, approached. "They seem so happy. But look at the sky-I see a comet."

Luna turned, knowing better than to take this as an idle comment. Her gold and black dress matched the gold in the starlight, but not in that comet. It was blue-like ice. "Have you warned the Queen?"

Setsuna smiled, a smile Luna had learned to fear. "Be calm, Lady Luna. The Queen has this well handled."

As if on an ironic cue, the stone struck the moon. It was small, but there was a passenger. A woman, made entirely of ice and snow, descended from the comet. "The Earth." Her voice was high and cold. "It is you who has allowed it to be infested!" She pointed at the Queen, who stood firm, her crescent staff appearing. "You allow it to be ruled by the SUN'S CHILDREN!"

Ice skittered across the tile floor, causing guests with weaker ankles to fall, and healers to run out in aide.

Raphael stepped to Selene's side. "The Earth has always been protected by the Sun up close and the Moon from afar. Who are you to change anything!"

"I am Snow Queen Kaguya," The woman said. "I created the first Ice Age. This world was mine. Until your SUN had to melt that away."

Selene frowned. "I believe your are mistaken. Because I am the Queen here. But this is a party, and it is not time for fighting. Let's make this quick."

She lifted her crescent staff and whispered. "You are banished."

**2500 B.C.**

**Tsukino Shrine**

**Jomon Period, Japan**

Raphael roamed the earth watching over Elysion. He was watching over the ruling family, Taisho, created by Metalia's consorting with the goddess Hecate. He, too, needed a goddess to be his consort.

If I can just find her I can fulfill the Prophecy. I can rule Heaven. I will overthrow the Elders with the power of my child. This world that Father abandoned will be mine!

Such were the thoughts of the great Archangel Raphael. He believed none suffered as he did. None suffered to claw their place into history. None begged for acceptance. So no one would ever understand him. That was his reality, until that dark night. The night he met her.

Xxx

For a cosmic deity to come down from the heavens to the blood soaked earth was an odd thing. Selene knew this. And yet she could not help it. The moonlight touched the earth, and she also touched it, tears falling for the human race. It was snowing, but the ground still ran red with blood.

She called upon her wings to make themselves invisible. It would be best if no one knew what she was.

_Goddess, Goddess,_ it echoed in her head. _Make this world clean. Stop the bloodshed._

She stared up at the glowing orb that was the clear full moon, her spirit home. "Are you telling me to rescue a planet with no star?"

Its star waits for you. It needs your nurturing, Selene.

Her long silver hair pooled at her feet as she stepped onto the balcony. Her eyes, echoing the moon in appearance and glow, suddenly turned toward the door. She was suddenly aware she was being sensed and watched by a ﬁerce tenshi. She was also heavily aware that her violet gown was see-through.

Xxx

Raphael felt her eyes lock with his, but felt no guilt for watching her. It was like watching the moon, with its soft, cooling presence. He took a step forward.

"Who are you?" she said, eyes changing from their previous softness to a sharp gaze.

He opened his mouth, but found that, although he had faced the strongest demons in all of the Makai, he could not speak sharply to her. His demeanor was softened by her presence. He stopped his advance.

"My name is Raphael," he said gently, showing her that his wings were flared back and his angel blade was on the ground. "See, there is no need to be on your guard. I will not harm you; I do not think I could if I tried."

The woman seemed surprised; as if she had been expecting a ﬁght; although there was nothing in her hands except sparks of bright lightning. She was indeed the deity he had been searching for.

Whatever the sparks were, she extinguished them, almost as if relieved. "I, too, do not wish to ﬁght, Raphael. I am Selene. I am the goddess of the moon."

He believed her.

Xxx

Selene was shocked that Raphael did not attack. The land here ran with the blood of humans, and she knew for a fact that angels, though they pretended to be humanity's protection, were in reality the biggest enemies of humanity. She had disguised herself as a human woman, weak and vulnerable, to see if this planet could be saved.

_It can, _she realized. _Raphael believes my words and has faith in me. He is different from any man I have ever met, demon or human._

Selene's silver eyes met Raphael's ﬁery golden ones. A glittering tear slipped down her cheek as she recalled that she must return upon the moonset.

Raphael wiped the tear away, his face showing that he had thought of the same thing. "We will not be lonely tonight. I will love you enough."

**2000 BC**

**Silver Millennium**

**Silver Alliance**

Starlight shone down on the couple standing under the arch, before kings and nobles of the Alliance. Artemis and Luna walked forward and crowned the new king and Queen.

Queen Selene brushed back her silver veil and kissed Raphael deeply. Artemis handed the golden sword to the two of them and they touched it, ceremonially sealing it into the Holy Stone. They exchanged pentacle rings, and their staffs appeared in their hands, presenting them to the court.

"We now present the King and Queen of the Silver Alliance, Raphael and Selene." The Mauan advisors released the golden and silver crystals, and they were called into the staffs. Applause was heard all around.

The two smiled and a two lights glowed in Selene's chest.

"Oh..."

"What?"

"I felt something now," she said. "That a star is being born inside of me. That soon, our daughter... a new sailor soldier will be born."

She held the bouquet of flowers as they walked up the aisle.

"Say... Until our duties end someday, will we always protect this planet together..."

"We will," said Raphael. "Of course we will."

"Will we always live together?"

"I promise. We will always be together."

They kissed.

"I promise too" she thought. "I will always protect you."

She ran outside.

"And I will always protect our precious friends."

She joined the other ladies.

"Raphael!" she called.

Raphael looked at her in the starlight.

"Someday we will be gone," he thought. "New sailor soldiers, new stars will be born... But Selene, you will forever be immortal. For all eternity, you will be the most beautiful, brilliant light."

**1900 BC**

**Silver Millennium**

**Silver Alliance**

"Kaguya... "

Selene leaned down and kissed her baby.

"My pretty girl. I'm truly glad you were born," she whispered. "Now, let us celebrate. Everyone, come in!"

Three small girls in sailor suits ran into the room.

"Congratulations, Queen!" The Starlights said.

"I've been waiting for you," said Queen Selene. "Fighter! Healer! Maker! The three newest warriors!"

They knelt to her.

"Queen, we have been eagerly awaiting this time. We shall devote our lives to protecting the kingdom! So that someday, the princess may grow up strong." Fighter said.

"Soon, she will grow, and catch up to you," said the Queen. "It shall be fun. I wonder what kind of princess she will become."

People came to the Queen, bringing gifts. It was well known that the King was keeping conference with the Alliance leaders in her stead at the moment. But the Queen was still aglow in happiness.

"Queen, a gift!"

"Congratulations!"

"Here's a gift!"

A dark force, cloaked in shadow, entered the room.

"I, too, have a gift," it said.

The three girls ran between her and the baby.

"For the biggest celebration on the moon," Chaos said, "I was the only one not invited."

"Polluter of the holy palace!" shouted Fighter. "Who are you!?"

"Well," says Chaos. "Even I live on the moon. But I come from the depths of the moon."

"You lie!" said Maker. "You don't live on the moon!"

"That's right!" said Healer. "You crept into this planet in secret, to spread your darkness as an incarnation of bewitching evil!"

"Uninvited guest," said the Queen. "If you are looking for peace, and want to stay on this planet, we shall welcome you. But, I shall not allow you to bring the darkness of evil to this planet!"

"That's funny," said Chaos. "You, too, were brought to this planet from far across the galaxy. Are not our origins the same? Queen, the darkness is necessary. If you will simply take my hand... If you will accept the darkness..."

"Stranger!" shouted Healer. "Begone this instant!"

"Where there is light, there is darkness. The darkness calls to the light, and the light shall call to the darkness again!" Chaos began glowing with power. "I will not rest until the blood of a moon-child has been spilled!"

Queen Selene grasped the crescent moon wand, and held it out at Chaos.

Chaos was absorbed into the Mystical Silver Crystal.

"I seal you!" the Queen said. "Forever inside the world of darkness!"

She pointed the wand at a large mirror, and Chaos was spewed into it, locked inside.

"A present in celebration!" Chaos said. "That you should receive my beautiful curse! Before long, this kingdom shall perish. The beautiful Princess shall die without inheriting the throne. That is my present! And when my curse is fulfilled, the Silver Millennium shall be destroyed. This will continue in every life she lives she shall be cursed to be _short-lived._ The only way to save everyone is through the Sacrifice!"

**1500 BC**

**Silver Millennium**

**Silver Alliance**

It was a fairly cool night and a slight breeze blew Kaguya's dark hair behind her. It was the night of the 800th anniversary of the Silver Alliance and the Silver Millennium was hosting a huge ball in honor of it.

Kaguya was very much in love with the leader of the Starlights, Seiya.

Seiya led her around the dance floor, worry filling his mind. Raphael was going to attack. He just knew it. But how to break it to Kaguya? That was the question.

She looked so happy, dancing with him. How could he break her heart with this bad news?

"Seiya? Is something wrong?"

He looked down at her. "N-no." he lied. "Nothing at all honey." Seiya shook his head to clear it of the thoughts of the evil king.

Kaguya studied him, my head cocked to the side. "You're lying to me. Don't think I don't see through it."

Seiya sighed, running a hand through his already messy black hair. No way he could lie to the woman he loved. He had to tell me the truth. "OK. Fine. Coming to see you isn't the only reason I came here tonight."

Kaguya stared up at him, a confused expression on my face. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well you know how we've been fighting your father?" Kaguya nodded.

"Yes, I was a little confused to why you allowed the celebration. As the Earth is under siege, and you're the leader of the Lunar army protecting it."

"Was. The Earth was under attack."

Kaguya interrupted him once more. "Was? You're saying it's over? That's great! Just wonderful! Is that why you came here?"

Seiya looked at me grimly. "Kaguya, no it's not like that."

My face fell, happiness turning worry. "What happened?"

Seiya paused, thinking of a way to tell me what had happened before he had escaped to the moon.

"Tell me the truth. I'm tired of the protection. I want to know what is going on!" Kaguya demanded.

"It's Raphael. He attacked the Earth in the middle of the night. Killed everyone in his way. Everyone. Including…"he broke off, his voice cracking, unable to continue his sentence.

"Hundreds of people died, Kaguya. He took Healer and Maker too."

"No…"

"She's not done yet. She wants to take over the galaxy. Knowing that, her next target is probably going to be here."

Kaguya gaped at him, tears in my eyes. "No, Seiya, that can't be happening…. It just can't!" Kaguya cried, a tear running down my cheek.

The tall man wiped the silver drop from my face with his thumb, gazing down into the blue eyes he loved. "I never wanted to tell you this way. I'm sorry, Kaguya." He leaned down once more to give me a lingering kiss.

Xxx

Smoke and dust hung heavy in the air. Fires burned brightly in the distance. Explosions rocked the large white palace. Rubble decorated the once white rocky landscape.

Kaguya looked out at the small battles that raged around her. Her home had been destroyed.

What had started off as the party of the year had turned to a living hell in a matter of seconds. It was a great blur to her. One minute she had been in the warm embrace of her friends, the next she had been ripped to the floor by a detonation that had sent the top of the chateau sky rocketing.

She had lingered only long enough to see the familiar faces at the front of Metalia's army.

None of that mattered anymore to her. Not when her childhood home had been blown to bits. Dead bodies littered her beloved flower garden.

Kaguya's eyes filled with tears as she spotted a girl's body at the other side of the trampled blossoms. She pushed her silver locks over her shoulder and began heading for the fallen girl. The hem of her snowy white gown became stained with blood as she made her way across the spur-of-the-moment battle field.

The sickly sweet smell of death filled her nose while tears welled up in her eyes as she approached her destination.

The sight she was greeted with was disturbing, the bodies of not just one, but two of her guardians, some of her best friends. Tears fell silently down her cheeks as she saw Sailor Star Healer lay closest to the distraught princess. Her sailor senshi fuku bloodied and torn, a short sword piercing her stomach.

Sailor Star Maker had fallen next to her. Black fuku almost burned away. Electrical burns covered her skin.

Thinking about the her senshi made the young princess ponder of her beloved Seiya. Even as the conflicts grew exponentially worse their bond only became stronger.

A loud roar pounded in her ears, ripping her from her thought of her sister. She saw part of the palace collapse and heard yells from the still standing part.

Kaguya turned to face the once perfect palace she called home. She knew that voice that had yelled out.

'Please let him be alright.' She begged in her mind as she picked up the heavy skirts of her dress and stepped daintily over the lifeless forms of her friends. Swiftly and like a ghost she ran towards the palace.

Xxx

Everything was eerily silent. Kaguya paused to look at herself in a cracked mirror that had fallen from its place of the hallway wall. Her pale face was dusty with tear streaks cutting through the grime. Smudges of dirt and what looked like blood decorated it.

Her pale hair, usually kept up in odango (two buns planted on either side of her head with pigtails that fell from them reaching the floor), was frizzy and matted with dirt. The buns were falling out, and the ends of the fair strands that trailed on the floor were tinted a blood red, as was the bottom of her dress.

Wait. Why was she thinking about such things as her appearance when her beloved could be dying, or worse, already dead?

Kaguya ran down the rest of the hallway, vaguely aware of where she was heading.

Thud.

She had run into something hard. Looking up she saw the well-known sapphire blue eyes of her prince.

"Seiya." She gasped, "You're alright!" hugging the much taller soldier. He had changed into his female form, in his fuku.

"Kaguya." Seiya breathed, taking in her haggard look. "Where have you been! I thought I told you to stay in your room, away from the fighting!" he held her at arm's length to look her in her red rimmed eyes.

"Looking for you." She replied sheepishly, not making eye contact. She felt like crying for joy. Seiya, her Seiya, was still alive and breathing.

He carefully led her back to the room he had just left in his search for her. "I want you to stay in here. You could get hurt out there. A war's no place for a princess."

"But-"

"No buts, Kaguya. I will not let anything happen to you."

"Well maybe that's how I feel about you!" she gushed out before he had a chance to say anything else.

"I love you too much! The Starlights are dead! I just don't want you to end up the same!" she cried hysterically.

"I know." he stated simply as he lead Kaguya towards the balcony of the partially destroyed room.

He gazed up at the stars shining ahead. How could there be something so beautiful when death surrounded them?

He turned his head to look at the unkempt angle in front of him as he bent down and drew her into a scorching kiss.

She leaned against him, tears flowing freely down her face. "I love you." Kaguya's voice lingered in the air as he slowly broke away from her.

"Seiya, if I don't make it back from this-"

A loud crack and blinding flash of light stopped Seiya from finishing his words.

He whirled around, drawing his gleaming blade in a fluid motion to face the powerful King Raphael. He was dressed as Elysion royalty and held a golden sword of his own against Seiya.

The ebony haired soldier shielded Kaguya.

A loud laugh came from the demon. "Oh look at this! The two little love birds." He called out in a mocking tone, dripping with disgust and sarcasm. "Too bad I'm gonna have to break this adorable scene up."

"Raphael! What do you want?" Seiya growled.

Raphael merely looked up at him as if he was pondering what to say before answering in a sickly cheerful voice. "I warned you, Fighter! I told you that no man would ever have my daughter! But my foolish wife gave you that blasphemous female form to be her warrior and to bypass my edict. The love you have is wrong! A creature such as you with no gender cannot—"

"I love Seiya! It doesn't matter to me what form his body takes! His heart and mine are one! Love knows no gender!" Kaguya cried.

"You are a child! You don't know what love is! And I will not allow sinful love like this! Fighter you will stand down!" Raphael said.

Seiya only advanced forwards, pushing Raphael farther back. "Never." Seiya turned his head towards the princess. "Run, Kaguya. Go!"

Kaguya stood there, eyes wide open, frozen with fear.

"I said run!"

The ebony haired girl slowly nodded and began to creep around the side.

"No! Stay where you are!" a sword had materialized in Raphael's hand and he had it pointed directly at the moon princess. "I guess I'll have to do this the hard way."

The monster flicked his hand, causing Seiya to fly backwards, hitting a pillar, where he fell back to the floor in a clatter, landing in a heap. "He's taken care of. Now…" Raphael turned back to the whimpering princess before her.

Kaguya cowered by the railing, trying to see if her soldier was still breathing. He had taken a hard blow and wasn't moving.

She gasped as her mentally insane father cornered her. Weapon pointed at her heart. She braced herself against the balustrade; eyes shut tightly, waiting for the impact. "Please… no… no..."she murmured, knowing that it was useless though.

"Kaguya!" the petite girl felt her body being shoved out of the way by a heavy force.

A low roar of pain echoed around the balcony. Kaguya opened her eyes to her worst nightmare. Her prince he pushed her out of harm's way and taken the full force of the blade.

Raphaels weapon had penetrated Seiya's fuku and pierced his back. Blood had already started to pool around his limp form. Kaguya crawled to his side, not giving a damn if her dress became sodden with the blood of her beloved.

"Seiya…" she whispered slowly as she placed his head in her lap. "Seiya… no… don't leave me..." Hot tears flowed like a water fall.

She gazed once more into the ocean blue eyes she had loved since the moment she laid eyes on them. His body shuddered as he coughed, "Kaguya, know that I'll always love you. No matter what happens. You'll be with me." He managed to reach into his pocket and press something into her hand. "I love you."

Kaguya felt her heart rip in two as her love took his final breath and became still in her arms.

She looked down at the warm trinket in her palm. A golden star with a red adornment glittered in the moonlight. His Sailor Change Star. Giving her this meant he gave his life to her.

Kaguya clutched it, felt his power enter her. The Sailor Change star morphed into a round silver broach.

"NEW MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!" Kaguya said.

She transformed into a new sailor senshi. She was Sailor New Moon. Her skirt and bow were black and glittered like the night sky. Her broach and accents were silver. She picked up her mother's wand.

"Seiya..." The word was soft and mournful. She cradled his lifeless body to her chest. Burying her face in the crook of his neck, tears streaming.

Holding up the wand she stood up and looked the demon in the eye. "I want him back."

Kaguya laughed, "So do I, but not as much as I want you dead."

"Bring him back!" she howled hysterically.

"Nothing I can do now. He's dead. Gone for good."

Kaguya held up the wand and whispered the words of sealing in Enochian.

Kaguya's eyes grew wide in terror. "You are insane! You cannot preform the seal now! You will be sealed within!"

"As eínai," Kaguya replied to the monstrous man. "So be it."

_I Dynámeis tis Selínis_

_Kai oi Dynámeis tou Ouranoú_

_Gíne Énas stous anazítisi mas_

_Gia na Sfragíste aftó to kakó makriá_

_Gia óli tin aioniótita_

A bright light flashed in the Prayer Tower, and the Holy Stone grew, changing from silver to blue. Before the demoness could move, Kaguya made a symbol in the air with her wand, and the weakened Metalia was sealed against the stone, a chain with ten seals holding him down.

The Ginzuisho glowed brightly as Kaguya felt herself succumb to the seal as well.

The princess of the new moon closed her eyes. No reason for her to live now, was there? Every one she ever loved was dead.

Healer

Maker

Fighter

Fighter...

Seiya.

Her beloved.

Her one reason to live.

Life was pointless without him.

So she would seal them all. Their deaths would mean something, and stop Metalia from ever returning.

She slowly took a deep breath.

'Everyone, I love all of you. Maker, the ways you laugh and make me feel so happy. Healer, the way you make me do my work or always being there for me.

Fighter. Seiya, my only love. I cannot live without you. I love you too much. It breaks my heart to see you dead. We will live on forever. Even once we have left this world our bond will last a thousand years. Longer even. I will be with you soon. Know that I am forever yours.

Seiya.

Kaguya poured all her love and loss into the Ginzuisho, and the tenth and final seal fell upon Metalia's cage, locking her away forever.


	2. Sailor New Moon

It was dark. She stood under the light of the moon, and blood surrounded her.

The woman, who had long, loose dark hair and caramel skin, with a dark star on her forehead, wearing a long blue dress decorated with stars.

Her dress was soaked with blood.

"What are you doing, you bitch!" A woman stood there, wearing a black sera fuku that resembled nothing more than a bikini with shorts. "I am Sailor Star Fighter."

"I am Chaos." The woman said. "This land is under my curse."

"Your curse is nothing." Healer said.

"We the Sailor Starlights, protect this land." Maker said.

"Tell me...Fighter." Chaos smiled. "What will you do..." She lifted a lifeless woman, tearing out her heart and taking a bite out of it. "When I am the one who holds your Princess' heart."

She spat the blood in Fighter's furious face, and shimmered out of there.

Xxx

"Kurai did you hear about the Three Lights concert tonight?" Reiko asked.

"Yeah, I'm just not into concerts." Kurai said.

"Cmon have you heard their music?" Mana said, showing her on iTunes.

Kurai listened to the song, "Search for Your Love."

For a moment, her eyes turned silver, and she saw a vision of herself battling with a soldier, brandishing a sword. She pinned the soldier down and pointed the sword to her chest, then kissed her.

Kurai was confused. She had a memory of kissing a woman? There was nothing wrong with that, but she was definitely straight. Though that kiss, just the memory had her a bit flustered.

Confused, Kurai headed home on her Vespa, and then stopped flat. There was a duck crossing the road. Kurai headed to the duck.

"Silly duck. I'm taking you to the pond." Kurai said gently.

The duck flew up and bit her on the nose.

Kurai rolled her eyes. "Fine then. Get run over by a car, stupid bird."

She got back on her Vespa and rode toward home.

Xxx

After finishing her homework, Kurai was playing a PC game, the Sims 3. She was using her sim to battle another one with magical powers she'd given them using mods.

"There ya go set him on fire!" Kurai hissed. "Oh look at him run! Yeah!"

"I can't believe you left me out there in the street you big jerk!" The Duck said, jumping on the desk.

"What the hell?!" Kurai said.

"My name is Ahiru. Look you can't hide it anymore. You have to use your power!" Ahiru said.

"My...power..." Kurai said. "Right..."

"You saw it today didn't you. You had a vision." Ahiru said.

"How did you know that?" Kurai asked.

"I'm your guardian." Ahiru said. "Here."

Ahiru handed her a round silver broach. As she held it she had another vision. Reiko was at the Three Lights concert, and she was being attacked by a youma.

"I'm going to save my friend. NEW MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!" Kurai transformed and leapt out the window.

Xxx

The concert was as loud as she had thought it would be. Kurai had to resist the temptation to plug her ears. She headed into the dark alcove where she knew Reiko was being attacked.

"No! Stop!" Reiko hissed, kicking the youma away.

Kurai had to admit she was holding her own. Kurai leapt forward. "Leave her alone!"

"A-Aren't you one of us?" The youma said, noting her black attire.

"Light does not always equate to good, and Darkness does not always equate to evil." Kurai recited. "I am Sailor New Moon."

"Do you even have any powers?" The youma laughed at her.

"Well...I have..." Kurai realized she'd run off before Ahiru had given her any instruction. Stupid.

Kurai could hear in the distance. They had started their song, "Search for Your Love."

There was the sound of someone snapping.

"Born under the light of the New Moon, the Soldier of Destruction! Sailor Star Fighter!" The woman landed between them.

The youma elongated its claws and aimed them at Fighter's torso.

"Yamatte!" Kurai leaped forward, arm outstretched, and a silver light purified the youma, leaving stardust.

"Well geez did you think I couldn't take him?" Fighter laughed and kissed Kurai on the lips.

She was so shocked that she vanished.

Kurai opened her eyes and she was in her bedroom, her transformation gone.

"So, how did it go?" Ahiru asked.

"You didn't tell me." Kurai said angrily. "You didn't ever say that if I didn't succeed someone could be killed. You did that on purpose to draw my power out!"

"I'm not going to lie but it was necessary—" Ahiru was cut off as Kurai threw her out the window.

Ahiru's wings caught her and she sat on the window ledge, listening as Kurai used the song "Search For Your Love," to play her to sleep.


	3. Sailor Star Healer

Sailor Star Fighter headed back into the shadows, meeting up with Healer and Maker.

"Is it really alright that we didn't reveal ourselves to her too?" Healer said.

"Yes after all we are her senshi, her honor guard." Maker said.

"She is still a child." Fighter said simply.

"So what is your plan?" Maker said eagerly.

"Well, it is time for us to be at her side." Fighter said after a moment, transforming back into Seiya Kou. "We will start our performance. Stage on!"

Xxx

Kurai yawned, headed to school with that annoying duck following her spouting out different martial arts moves she should be using when she fought.

"Look Ahii-chan. I'm a street fighter ok?" Kurai said, annoyed. "I'm not about to use fancy-schmancy techniques to fight youma when I can get em with an old fashioned sleeper hold!"

Ahiru gasped. "You're a Yankee!"

"Try was." Kurai said. "I used to be in a gang in middle school. I wanted some kind of camaraderie, but it just didn't feel right, the girls in the gang weren't anything special. They weren't really warriors, and all they did was complain when it was obvious that they didn't really have real problems. Reiko, Mana, Ava and Kiana are my friends now."

Kurai stopped in front of the school. There was a limo parked there. Out of the limo came three boys. It was Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten Kou. The Three Lights.

"Search For Your Love" was playing from inside the limo, and Kurai turned and made eye contact with Seiya. He smiled a dazzling smile at her and said something to Yaten. Yaten walked over.

He bowed to her. "My name is Yaten Kou. You and I have English together first period, and I was hoping you could help me with something."

"What's that?" Kurai asked.

"Well according to the teacher we have a term paper due in two weeks on British Literature. Do you know anything about that?" Yaten continued.

"I know plenty." Kurai said. "Come with me."

Kurai kept an eye on Reiko, but she seemed to either not remember the attack on her last night, or she just didn't want to talk about it.

As English class was ending, Kurai turned to Yaten. "So you are friends with that Seiya guy."

"Yes." Yaten said. "Why? You a fan?"

Kurai made a face. "I don't like how he checks me out when he thinks I'm not looking."

Yaten looked startled, then laughed delicately. "You really are perceptive. That's good. Well, I'd best be going. I will see you after school to work on our project."

Xxx

Kurai finished the day without being approached again by the Three Lights, but she had Yaten to worry about now.

She approached the classroom, only to hear arguing.

"She is my Princess too, Healer." Reiko said. "I failed her yesterday but I will not fail again."

"You have Fallen, Fauna." Yaten said. "You are no longer one of us. The Queen stripped you of your title long ago."

"This demon, I have seen it." Reiko said. "You must not underestimate Chaos. She will destroy our Princess, and then all will be lost. Fighter must make her move!"

"Fighter is our leader." Yaten said. "She wishes to ease her into this. She does not want to burden her heart."

Mulling this over, Kurai was about to question them, when suddenly she heard the sound of a bird breaking through the window. She turned and a giant bird shaped Youma was crouching in the room.

The bird threw a feather at Yaten and Reiko, which grew and pinned them down, knocking them out.

"NEW MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!" Kurai said, transforming into Sailor New Moon.

She chased the bird, knocking down and punching it to the ground. The bird knocked her over and pinned her down, holding a feather to her neck.

"HEALER STAR POWER! MAKE UP!" Yaten said.

Kurai whirled and saw her new friend transform into a warrior similar to Sailor Star Fighter. Her male friend was now a female warrior. Reiko remained unconscious.

"Born under the light of the New Moon, the Soldier of Preservation! Sailor Star Healer!" Healer announced.

Healer dissolved the feather. "Star Sensitive Inferno!"

The bird dissolved into feathers. Two more, red and black, burst through the windows.

"Do something Sailor New Moon!" Healer said. "Use your power!"

The two descended on Reiko, and the girl dissolved into shadows.

"What the hell happened to her?!" Kurai said.

"She's Fallen!" Healer said insistently. "She's on their side!"

"She's not! She's NOT!" Kurai shouted, pulsing as silver light blinded Healer, decimating the Youma.

When Kurai opened her eyes, Fighter was standing in front of her. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think you'd be bonded to the Fallen. Please forget them. They are trying to harm you. They are not your friends."

Kurai growled and punched Fighter, knocking her back into Healer. "I'm tired of you people telling me what is and what isn't. Acting like I'm not as strong as you! I'm the one that finished the monster off! As far as I'm concerned, that makes me the strongest! You listen to me Fighter! We're going to save Fauna and all the Fallen! I won't allow you to give up! You give up, and you've got my fist to look forward to!"

Fighter smiled at her Princess. Maybe not such a child after all.


	4. Sailor Star Maker

That wasn't part of the plan." Maker said.

"No it wasn't." Fighter agreed. "But she is our Princess. She makes the plan."

"She isn't even awake yet! And she's siding with the Fallen!" Maker protested.

"You haven't seen her power." Healer said. "Our Princess is truly her mother's daughter. She will be the one to defeat him."

"How do we know she is not her father's daughter?" Maker asked, earning a slap from Fighter.

"NEVER talk about her that way again! New Moon is nothing like that monster!" Fighter shouted. "You'll see! She'll awaken soon and then you'll see! Until then, it is your turn! Stage on!"

Xxx

"You can't be serious." Ahiru said. "You don't really want to rescue the Fallen."

"I'm not letting them get taken by...whoever it is we're fighting." Kurai said.

"You aren't yet ready to know that." Ahiru said.

"You never tell me anything." Kurai said, walking into the school building, right into Taiki Kou.

"Oh. It's you." Taiki said. "You're my lab partner."

"Ugh are you Three Lights obsessed with me or something?" Kurai said, then in a low voice. "Or perhaps you are another Starlight."

Taiki gasped. "I-I don't..."

Kurai looked at Taiki as they sat down in the lab. "Do you guys think I'm stupid? You're one of them, and Seiya is obviously Fighter."

"What do you want then?" Taiki said.

"I want your help saving the Fallen." Kurai said.

"They cannot be saved." Taiki said. "They will forever be tainted."

"As I told you. That's not good enough." Kurai finished the experiment and stormed out.

Xxx

Mana pushed past her, running to Taiki, clinging to him. "Please Maker! You have to save me! The youma are hunting me!"

"Get off me! I told you—we're over!" Taiki said disdainfully.

Two fish headed youma ran into the room. The class scattered.

Yaten rushed in. "So, this time it's Astarte."

Scales flew from the youma and struck Mana, knocking her to the ground. They moved to fire again but Kurai got in the way.

"Fight them! Protect Astarte! You have to listen to me right! That's my order!" Kurai said. "NEW MOON PRISM POWER! MAKE UP!"

Yaten and Taiki got between Sailor New Moon and the youma.

"HEALER STAR POWER! MAKE UP!" Yaten said. He transformed into Sailor Star Healer.

"MAKER STAR POWER! MAKE UP!" Taiki said. "Born under the light of the New Moon, the Soldier of Creation! Sailor Star Maker!"

"Star Sensitive Inferno!" Healer said.

"Star Gentle Uterus!" Maker said.

Their attacks destroyed the youma.

Behind Mana, a third youma appeared, wrapping its fins around her neck. The shadows surrounded her.

New Moon cried out. "No let her GO!"

A bright light banished the shadows and struck the youma. Injured, it grabbed Mana and jerked her into the darkness, where they vanished.

"NO! Not again!" New Moon yelled. "Why do we keep LOSING!"

A pulse from her body, and uncontrolled light broke all the windows and the room began to shake. Her power continued to explode through the building as she sobbed, until finally a hand landed on her shoulder.

"New Moon. Breathe." Fighter said. "Your power is too raw, you'll destroy the school. People will get hurt."

"F-Fighter..." New Moon said, calming down. "This is the last time we lose. We are going on the offensive. Kiana and Ava, they are Fallen too, right?"

Fighter smiled, impressed. "Yes. What is your plan?"

"We get them and bring them to a safe house." New Moon said. "And then we are going to find the enemy and save my friends."

"Alright New Moon." Fighter said. "But first I should introduce myself properly."

"Oh please I know who you are. Seiya."


	5. Sailor Star Fighter

So what have you gathered us after school for, some kind of new club?" Kiana said.

"Ohmygosh! It's the Three Lights!" Ava said.

"That's enough of that," Seiya said. "We know each other."

"You really think they remember?" Kurai said.

"Of course we do, but we were protecting our Princess." Kia said.

"You were protecting her?" Taiki scoffed.

"C-come on Starlights, you can trust us..." Ava said nervously.

"The Princess ordered us to protect you from the Youma and that is what we are going to do." Yaten said, and opened the door to Karaoke Crown, and their secret room.

"Whoa you guys really worked hard on this, picking something our Kurai likes." Kia said.

"All Lunarians love music." Seiya said to Kurai. "Remember?"

The song "Search for Your Love" danced through her head again, but she didn't remember anything.

"Now Kurai, would you like to go out on a date while the others stay here?" Seiya said. "Yaten and Taiki will be their bodyguards."

"Well, as long as they're safe, I'd love to go out!" Kurai said.

Xxx

Seiya led Kurai to Joyland, a theme park in Juuban.

"You like music, I know that..." Seiya said. "Do you like my music?"

"Of course I do!" Kurai said. "When you play...I feel at home. Originally I didn't like your music at all. I don't like boy bands and I don't like concerts. But then, hearing you play..."

Seiya smirked and took her on the Ferris Wheel. Kurai laughed and pointed out Karaoke Crown below.

"I wonder if Reiko and Mana are alright...if they're even alive..." Kurai said sadly. "I can't believe I couldn't protect them. Why am I so weak when the rest of you are so strong?"

"Kurai, you are not weak." Seiya said. "You're power is different from ours. It's unknown. You became a senshi after we were all dead and in doing so you saved everyone. You are the Soldier of Salvation."

In response, Kurai leaned in and kissed Seiya. "Thank you Seiya. You know I love you."

Those were the words he wanted to hear most, but Seiya tried to play it cool. "Yeah. Me too."

"My Soldier of Destruction, my Sailor Star Fighter."


	6. Princess Kaguya

As they sat on the Ferris Wheel, Seiya's cell phone rang. He answered it.

"What? Ok calm down we'll be right there!" Seiya said.

The two got off the ride and Kurai didn't even question him. She knew. Ava and Kiana were in danger.

The two arrived in front of Headquarters and transformed. Several youma were standing there and two women were holding Ava. The youma were standing on the necks of Healer and Maker.

The women were Astarte and Fauna. And they were Fallen.

Their fuku was black, skirts and midriffs and the collared top of a serafuku cut of in the manner of a swimsuit and flared out sleeves in the style of a Super fuku. Fauna's secondary color was green, Astarte's was blue.

"Why would you do this?!" New Moon shouted. "I fought for you! I wanted to save you!"

"We do this on the King's orders." Fauna said.

"You are a child who would do well to obey her father!" Astarte scolded.

"Soon the world will Fall to its one true king!" The two chorused.

"NO!" New Moon shouted, and the resulting pulse purified the youma and threatened to knock Astarte and Fauna's transformation away.

"Dark Glacies!" Astarte shouted.

"Dark Fulminus!" Fauna shouted.

The electric and ice attack rushed toward New Moon, and Fighter wasn't close enough. Kiana ran out from her hiding spot and took the attack.

"It isn't too late..." Kiana whispered as blood spilled from her lips. "Remember Princess, Darkness doesn't always equate to evil and Light doesn't always equate to good..."

The words resonated in New Moon's sleeping mind.

Xxx

"Mama...if I'm Dark, doesn't that mean I'm evil?" Princess Kaguya asked her mother.

"No, little one." Queen Serenity said. She picked up her daughter and showed her the stars, and the earth. "Your father is Light, and even now he battles against us."

"I do not understand." Kaguya said.

"Darkness doesn't always equate to evil and Light doesn't always equate to good." Serenity said. "Just as power itself is not inherently good or evil, not even the power to end the world. It is our choices that make us who we are, not our abilities, or even the planet we represent."

"So I'm not bad, and the Fallen are not bad either?" Kaguya said.

"Even the Fallen will be presented over and over again with the chance to redeem themselves. It is your job to never stop believing in them, just as Seiya never stopped believing that a Princess could be a soldier, despite what your father said." Serenity said.

"A princess soldier." Kaguya said. "Sailor New Moon."

"Princess Sailor New Moon." Serenity said.

Xxx

New Moon's form shuddered as memories flowed into her, her body awakening. It was time at last.

Everyone stepped back as her form pulsed and changed.

Her costume was a great deal fancier than a normal sailor fuku; everything was trimmed with lace, pearls, or both. Her chest ribbon was a dark purple, with a large heart-shaped brooch at the center. Her skirt was dark blue but had lacy white petticoats under it. The garnet gems on her ondango were pearl-trimmed, and between them was a pearl crown similar to the one worn by Queen Serenity, in addition to the usual tiara. She wore white boots with red trim at the top in an upwards "v" shape and transparent heels. She also wore a ring on her left hand.

"When born we are guided by the light of each New Moon, we will meet by chance again and again." Princess Sailor New Moon said. "I am the Soldier of Redemption, Princess Sailor New Moon!"

The Princess called Joyuese, her sword by placing her right hand, with index and middle fingers extended, in front of her brooch, then raising her hand to the upper right. Joyuese then appeared coming out of her brooch.

"HIKO!" The Princess shouted. A powerful attack purified all youma in the area. It was thrown by a whirlwind.

Astarte and Fauna had fallen to the ground, and looked terrified.

"Wait! Wait!" The Princess spun the sword in the air above her and it became a harp. She lifted it and started to play.

"I will sacrifice...all I have in life to clear my conscience..." she sang.

The Fallen grabbed Kiana and took her and Ava into the shadows, but their transformation had come undone, and they looked at the Princess with a broken expression.

"NO!" Tears began to fall and hit the harp. It glowed and out of the top came the Silver Crystal.

The glow consumed her, and her entire body. Fighter moved to her, but Healer and Maker held her back.

Princess Kaguya had blue eyes, and long ebony curly hair done up in odangos, that seemed to be coming out of the buns, her unruly hair a trait shown to have carried over in her subsequent incarnations, and was wearing a white Empire Silhouette gown having a heavily decorated bodice. She had a silver crescent moon (symbol of the Moon Kingdom) on her forehead and golden earrings. She retained the garnet ring on her finger.

The Starlights changed back, and bowed in front of her.

"Princess..." Seiya said and walked over, holding her in his arms. "I gave you that ring the day you expressed your love for me. We had a hard time of it, as the three of us Starlights were your guardians, and yet were male. Your father outlawed male senshi, realizing our love for each other and trying to keep us apart. Your mother gave us female form and then I gave you my Warrior's Oath. I became your Warrior, and you my Princess. I gave you that ring and it was our promise to love one another no matter what form we took."

Kaguya stood. "I remember our promise, and I have kept it. But there is another promise I remember, one that I could not keep in my former life. We will save the Fallen. I have the power now. It is time to face my father. This world belongs to us, we just have to fight for it."


	7. New Moon

Kurai and Seiya stood next to a well under the darkness of the New Moon.

"Together we must transform." Seiya said. "My Princess."

"NEW MOON PRINCESS POWER!"

"FIGHTER STAR POWER!"

"MAKE-UP!"

They shouted and in a flash of glowing light they were standing in the darkness of a ruined castle.

Some of it was decorated with ripped purple banners and there were shards of amethyst and sapphire littering the floor

Healer and Maker waited for them at the gateway.

"We are sorry for coming ahead Princess." Healer said.

"We had to find the entry point." Maker said.

They stood back revealing Joyeuse stabbed into a module.

"Take hold Princess, the sword can only be wielded by the true royal warrior." Fighter said.

Instead, he Princess called her sword by placing her right hand, with index and middle fingers extended, in front of her brooch, then raising her hand to the upper right. It appeared in her hand, and out of the shadows came Queen Serenity.

"Welcome to the Silver Millennium." Queen Serenity said. "I am here to remind you of what you have long forgotten. My beautiful daughter, Kaguya. You were born to the Night, a true Daughter of the New Moon."

"Long ago, you were given the warriors Fighter, Healer and Maker, male soldiers, a gift from our sister star system Kinmoku. You were friendly with Princess Kakyuu, and she wanted you to be safe. Your father, King Raphael of Earth was furious at the gift, saying his daughter could not be protected by males, and that they would make a pass at you. He condemned them, and enlisted the Fallen Senshi, at that time called the New Moon Senshi, to protect you. However, I knew of your bond with Fighter and so used my Lunar Magic to grant them feminine form so they would be able to train you. This resulted in your love with Fighter blooming, even during the war. When Raphael at last struck the New Moon, he called your love unnatural and disgusting. You had become a warrior in Fighter's defense, and said simply that it was a love between two souls, regardless of the form. I could never be more proud. You sealed him using your own soul, but when that soul was reincarnated into a human girl, Raphael himself was reborn as a human man. He gathered his power and took your friends to antagonize you. The Starlights were never poisoned by his magic, never Fallen, and remain free of his influence. The same magic that allows them to change form into females protects them from his evil. The power to destroy him completely rests in you. I carved instructions into Joyeuse that will guide you."

"May you always blessed be, and remember all is well in love, always love."

Serenity vanished in a flutter of lights.

The Princess looked to the sword for answers, but it had become a harp and began to play.

Turning and turning

The moon's a merry-go-round

Making her cool pearl dress flutter

Always watching over it all,

New Moon Princess

In a flash of light they were back on earth.


	8. Fallen Senshi

The New Moon still shaded above them, Queen Serenity using her power to keep the moon in shadow.

"This is the moment. We must go to where his power is sealed, and complete the ceremony." Seiya said. "Are you ready for this, Princess?"

"I am ready." Kurai said. "I am the soldier of redemption. And I will redeem the fallen."

"We will always be at your side, Princess." Yaten comforted.

"You have no reason to worry. We will fight for you." Taiki confirmed.

They journeyed into the Suicide Forest at the base of Mount Fuji.

As they walked, their tragic pasts walked with them. The cries of those they had lost, echoing. Kurai could hear Seiya's death cries, and she clutched his hand.

"This land is poisoned because of his influence." Kurai said. "The trees are in pain. Reiko would cry if she could see this."

They made their way to a clearing where a dark twisted tree dominated the landscape.

"Would I cry, Princess?" Fauna stood there, flanked by Astarte, Coronis, and Mau.

The Fallen Senshi were here to protect their King.


	9. Coronation

"Fulminus!" Fauna shouted, attacking them with lightning.

"Star Sensitive Inferno!" Healer shouted, countering the attack.

"Glacies!" Astarte shouted, attacking them with ice flecks.

"Star Gentle Uterus!" Maker shouted, countering the attack.

"Sphera!" Mau shouted, sending fireballs.

"Star Serious Laser!" Fighter shouted, countering the attack.

"Sphera!" Coronis shouted sending a metallic attack.

"Seisei!" New Moon held out her hand and countered the attack.

The Fallen disappeared into the shadows, and New Moon walked forward, placing her hand on the tree. She transformed into Princess Sailor New Moon. Realization dawned on her.

"Princess...what are you doing?" Fighter asked. "Get away from there!"

"Fighter...Healer, Maker..." the Princess called her sword by placing her right hand, with index and middle fingers extended, in front of her brooch, then raising her hand to the upper right. It appeared in her hand. "When this sword shines bright, when the Silver Crystal hidden inside the one who will someday become Queen begins to shine in the reaction to the wishes of her heart, she will become complete and reawaken the full great powers of the New Moon. Chaos will not rest until the blood of a moon-child is spilled."

"NO! KURAI! STOP!" Fighter screamed.

"Princess!" Maker and Healer shouted.

They lunged for her, as Princess Sailor New Moon plunged the sword into her chest.

As her blood ran down the twisted sealed tree, she spoke for a final time. "Remember to love, always love."

The Silver Crystal around her neck glowed and bloomed, rising and covered in blood, then a dark hand rose from the tree as the seal broke and Raphael stood. His hand closed on the Silver Crystal and shattered it.

The Fallen each fell to one knee before him. Fighter clutched New Moon's broken body, tears staining her cheeks. Healer and Maker stood in front of them, prepared to fight.

"I am risen." Raphael said. "And this world is now mine!"


	10. Ending and Beginning, Fledgling Rising

The shards of the broken Ginzuisho fell to the ground, and as they did, the Fallen felt themselves begin to cry.

Blood red tears fell to the ground as they stared at the dead princess.

"Princess..." The Fallen said.

"Remember what you used to be..." Fighter growled. "Remember our Princess. She never stopped believing in you. She died for you! Don't you dare follow him now!"

The spell on them shattered and they joined the circle of Starlights.

There was no saving the princess now.

Her body had dissolved into starlight, leaving bloodstained dust in Fighters hands. He clenched his fist.

Raphael would die for this.

"FIGHTER STAR POWER!"

"MAKER STAR POWER!"

"HEALER STAR POWER!"

"ASTARTE POWER!"

"CORONIS POWER!"

"MAU POWER!"

"FAUNA POWER!"

"STARLIGHT FALLEN ATTACK!"

As their power descended on the fallen angel, a hand rose out of the dead tree, and reached deep into the angel's chest and tore out his heart.

"Sorry Father." Sadako said. "I've never been much of a Daddy's Girl."

Sadako bit into the heart and spit the blood on Fighter's face.

"Can't you keep your princess alive?" Sadako mocked.

The Ginzuisho came together in her hands, now red as blood, and entered her heart.

"Alive again, yes...but this body belongs to me." Sadako said.

She faded into Kurai, who ran to Fighter.

They all went home at last, victorious.

As they walked home it began to rain flowers.

A particularly huge bud was in front of Kurai's house.

Kurai walked over to the bud and kissed it. It bloomed and there sleeping, was a small girl with blue odango like Kurai's.

"My...name...is Ninako..." the girl said. "I am...a fledgling..."


	11. Seed

In the ether of space-tame, there stood a tall door and a solitary guardian.

Her name was Moa, and she had short cropped blonde hair and tanned skin. Her eyes were hazel and often golden.

Fiore entered the ether. He had long blue hair with pink edged bangs. His eyes were narrow, angular and golden. His skin had a greenish hue. He wore the robes of royalty, and knelt, kissing her hand.

"Here Fiore, this rose is for you." Moa said, moving her Garnet Rod and causing roses to rain down on him.

"Wow, thank you. Nobody has ever given me a gift before. I'll never forget this Moa, and someday I'll be back for flowers for you." Fiore said.

"Why did you have to go away?" Moa said.

"Don't be sad, someday I'll be back with flowers for you. I promise." Fiore said.

Xxx

Kurai and Seiya were in the park catching up.

"Who are you?" Kurai said.

"I have a name and it isn't 'you'! My name is S—Lizzie! Where's the Ginzuisho?" She swiped the ball, turned and ran.

They walked to Memorial Park, and saw the girl sitting by herself on a swing. She was looking at a video inside the ball.

They heard the girl sniff. "Mom..." she cried.

Seiya stepped forward. "Lizzie?"

"Where's your house? We'll take you home." As he took the girl's hand, he saw an image of a crystal city. "What?" he thought. "What was that? Did I just see something...?"

The girl held onto him. "He's warm," she thought. "Like my dad..."

"Seiya, you've gotten attached to her!" said Kurai.

"Now that I look, she's a normal kid," said Seiya.

"She is not normal!" Kurai said.

"She has no hostility now," he said. He looked at the girl. "Where did you come from?"

"Say, do you know me?" Kurai said. "Is your name really Lizzie? How do you know about the Ginzuisho?"

The girl was silent. They take the little girl back home.

The door to the house opened, and Shiroi came out. "Kurai, you're back?"

"Ack, Mom!" thought Kurai. She and Seiya blushed.

"Well who is this?" Shiroi asked, eyeing Seiya.

"This is Seiya Kou," said Kurai. "We were on a walk."

"Why, Kurai, isn't that nice," said Shiroi. She looked at Lizzie. "Who's this?"

"No, that's..." said Seiya. "A kid I'm kind of fond of."

"Lizzie is my name," Lizzie said.

"You're so cute!" Shiroi said.. "Where's your home? It's dinner time already. Your mother must be worried."

"I..." Lizzie said.. "Kurai Tsukino. I've decided to watch you for a while."

"Huh!?" Kurai said..

Lizzie picked up the ball and threw it on the ground. In a burst of smoke it turned into an umbrella.

"Wh- what!?" Kurai said.

Lizzie held the umbrella out and spun it. A spiral pattern on the outside hypnotized everyone there.

Kurai's pendant flashed, and undid the effect.

"Damn that brat!" Thought Kurai. She grabbed Lizzie and ran to her room upstairs.

"Show me your true identity!" Kurai said. "Lizzie! Stop doing that!"

"I won't..." Lizzie said quietly.

"You won't...!? What's that supposed to mean! What did you do!? Who the hell are you!?" Kurai said.

Lizzie was silent.

"Say something!" Kurai said. "You've been unfair since the start! I won't go easy on you just because you're a kid!"

Shiroi walked into the room.

"Hey!" he said. "Stop bullying Lizzie!"

"Mom..." Kurai said..

"Come on, Lizzie," Shiroi said. "Dinner." He lead her out of the room.

"I am not chibi..." she said. As she left, the light caught on a key and a crystal hanging on a chain around her neck.

"What?" Ahiru said. "Kurai, Where's the Ginzuisho?"

"I always carry it with me," Kurai said. "It's all right. Look, it's inside my locket." She opened the locket and took out the crystal, holding it from a chain. "Since it returned to its original form and its release of power has stopped, I don't think I tend to notice it as long as I don't transform."

"There's something about that kid..." Ahiru said. "I want to keep an eye on her for a while. Since I don't feel any strong hostility, that's what I want to do. Leave it to me."

Kurai nodded and went back to the main room.

The morning came. It was dawn when Kurai awoke.

Kurai peered into Lizzie's room the next morning, and saw her sleeping quietly.

"What a relief. Is she sleeping...? I don't believe it..." She then went to see Seiya.

"I see," said Seiya. "So she's staying at your place after all, Kurai. If Ahiru said it's all right... But we don't know what kind of bomb she might be carrying. I'll come to take a look at her, too. Should we at least ask the police whether anyone's asked them to search for her?"

"Sounds good." Kurai said.

"I'm going back to sleep." Seiya rolled over.

Kurai and Seiya walked away talking to each other, as Lizzie watched them. Later Kurai went and met her friends at an ice cream parlor. They talked about Lizzie and Ahiru gave them new transformation pens. They had lost their ability to transform into the senshi when they sacrificed their lives and gave up the pens.

"Everyone," said Shiroi. "I brought new transformation pens!" They appeared on the table. "And communicators. We must be prepared in case something happens."

Mana picked up hers. "So now... We can transform again." She put her arm around Kurai, and the other girls held up their pens. "Leave it to us! We'll fiercely protect Kurai!"

Kiana then introduced them to her latest crush's little sister and the 2nd reason she asked them all to meet at this parlor.

The group then headed to the gardens along with Lizzie.

"Forget-Me-Not." Kurai said.

"What?" Seiya said.

"I said this flower is called forget-me-not." Kurai said.

"Oh, yeah. Forget-Me-Nots, they're nice." Seiya said.

"Know what they stand for?" Kurai said.

"No." Seiya said.

"They stand for true love in the language of flowers." Kurai said.

Seiya laughed. "The language of...Nobody back there. OK." Seiya whispered.

Seiya looked around, to see if anyone was watching them.

"Look at Miss Fish Lips all puckered up like some..." Mana said.

"This isn't right guys, were spying. Stop! Come on, let's go!" Kiana said.

"We're gonna miss the best part!" Kurai said.

"Would you knock it off, they're gonna hear us!" Taiki said.

Seiya heard some noise and stepped away from Kurai. Kurai still had her eyes closed, waiting for Seiya's kiss. When Kurai opened her eyes, there was a caterpillar right in front of her. Ava (who was holding the caterpillar) laughed as Kurai fell over and rolled away in fear.

"You snoops are gonna pay! Huh, Seiya? Hey where'd you go?" Kurai said.

Seiya had gone out of the green house.

"It's so nice here, the flowers smell so nice, the fountain is so soothing. I never noticed how the flowers make me feel so calm." Seiya said.

Then there was a sudden rain of rose petals.

"How weird, flowers petals?" Seiya said.

"It's snowing flowers!" Kurai said.

"Wow, they smell so good." Kiana said.

"It's lovely!" Kurai said.

Then the rose petals stopped and Fiore appeared in the air.

"Seiya did you see? It was raining rose petals!" Kurai said.

"Hey. It's been a long time Seiya. But actually...we haven't met have we. That's the trouble with time...we are all trapped in her beautiful dance." Fiore said.

"Who are you?" Kurai said fiercely.

"No, princess." Fiore said. "My quarrel is with the warrior prince. The one who broke his promise and destroyed my happiness."

Kurai growled; her transformation and that of the others was instantaneous. "Any quarrel you have with my beloved is with me and my warriors!"

"I will never forget of course." Fiore continued. "It took me a long time, but I kept my promise. I finally found a flower worthy of my love for her. And you won't stop me anymore!"

"Her?" Fighter said.

"That's right. I vow to return with flowers for her." Fiore said.

"Flowers?" New Moon said.

"It's still the most beautiful gift anyone has ever given me, that rose she gave me." Fiore said.

"I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about." Fighter said.

"Of course not." Fiore said. "You don't know her. More beautiful and powerful than your princess. And you tucked her away and forgot about her. Leaving her alone, a solitary guardian."

"Stop!" Maker said. "You must not speak of her!"

"That's right it is forbidden!" Healer said.

But New Moon wanted to hear more. "Please. Tell us who she is. I will use my power to free her and—"

But Fiore just knocked her away.

"New Moon!" Fighter said.

"No!" Astarte, Mau, Coronis, and Fauna chorused.

"Coward, come back here!" Astarte said.

"You should be ashamed, it's not right to push people." Mau said.

"No one is going to prevent me from keeping my promise, no one!" Fiore said.

"MITTENT!" Mau shouted, a column of fire shooting from her hand and burning up the flowers.

"You will pay!" Fiore said, catching Mau in a vine and holding her upside down.

New Moon now found Mana and ran up to her. She called Joyuese, her sword by placing her right hand, with index and middle fingers extended, in front of her brooch, then raising her hand to the upper right. Nothing happened.

"My sword?" New Moon said.

"You defiled it." Healer was the one to finally give voice to what they were all thinking. "By using it to kill yourself."

"I can't fight?" New Moon said.

Fighter shot Healer a poisonous look. "You can always fight, princess."

Meanwhile Astarte attacked Fiore, protecting Mau. "RIGESCUNT!"

The vine that was wrapping around them stopped moving and Astarte was able to pull Mau free.

"S-SANA!" New Moon shouted desperately, trying to purify the alien intruder.

"I can't allow this...!" said New Moon. "Using his plants to toy with people's lives!" She grasped Seiya's hand. A light appeared between them.

Fiore was startled. "No! That's...!"

Joyeuse appeared between New Moon and Fighter's hands. New Moon transformed to Princess New Moon.

Fighter powered up.

Her costume was a great deal fancier than a normal sailor fuku, looking like Princess New Moon with lace, pearls, or both, while retaining the Starlight bikini/short form. Her Sailor Change Star a large heart-shaped brooch with a star at the center, and underneath was an inverted triangle with pearls and lace. Her shorts and bikini top had lacy white petticoats under it. Her tiara had a gold heart with a star inside. She wore lace trimmed tall black boots. He wore a matching ring to Princess New Moon's on his left hand.

"That's Neo Queen Kaguya's..." thought Fiore. "No! Her holy weapon!?"

Fiore stared at it.

Lizzie watched.

Kurai took the rod in her hand. "Born from our strength, this is...!" she thought. "The New Joyeuse! My sword! I understand! So what should I shout!" She held the rod out. "SHINJITSU!"

Fiore disappeared in a flurry of petals, but his voice lingered in the air. "No one will stop me from keeping my promise!"


	12. Sprout

Later the girls were at the shrine. On the TV the news talked about the large meteor that was heading toward earth.

"And finally, we have news from the observatory, that this afternoon a minor planet has been observed approaching the earth's orbit at a unusually high speed. Around 11:20 tomorrow evening, it should be around 25 million kilometers from earth, still a safe distance in astronomical terms. Anyone with a telescope should be able to spot it-" Reporter said.

"The observatory's equipment has tracked it too." Mana said.

"You guys look really worried. If that planet keeps it's distance, aren't we safe?" Kiana said.

"Were not sure it will." Mana said.

"Did you pick something up Mana?" Kurai said.

"Computer findings point to yes. We've determined that the planet is 600 meters long. A pretty good size actually." Mana said.

"Bigger than I thought. If it plummets to earth, it could be huge trouble." Kurai said.

"Right, but slim chance there. The planet looks big, but the mass is pretty small. As is if it's hollow. It most likely burn up before it reaches earth." Ava said.

"So what's got you worked up?" Kiana said.

"The planet has got a mega high plant energy reading." Reiko said.

"Yeah right. So there might be some unfriendly ferns planning to take over our planet. Reiko your being paranoid." Kiana said.

"And if they were going to invade us, wouldn't they be a little more discreet?" Mana said.

"Or else, maybe they just wanna make some new friends." Reiko said sarcastically.

"It's hard to tell." Ava said.

"I wonder what it is? There seem to be some kind of connection between those two. Between Fiore's sudden appearance and this meteor!" Reiko said.

"Maybe Kurai's right, there did seem to be some kind of connection between them." Kiana said.

"So this is someone from Seiya's past?" Mana said.

"Yes, an old friend who he believed to have died," Kurai said. "We don't talk about his past very much, because he says it makes him lonely."

"How sad." Ava said.

Xxx

Kurai was at Seiya's apartment. She saw a picture of Seiya and Fiore.

"I'm so sorry about Fiore. So, you've been lonely ever since?" Kurai said.

"Yes." Seiya said.

"Are you always lonely?" Kurai said.

"Very much." Seiya said.

"Didn't you have friends?" Kurai said.

"I do now and that's what counts, the past is over. Since I met you, I haven't had a single lonely day. Your my family now Kurai." Seiya said.

"Oh Seiya. Your right about that Seiya, we are family now. And that means I'll do all I can to protect you forever." Kurai said.

The two looked on the bed where Ninako was sleeping.

"You're right about her, Seiya." Kurai said. "I don't think she's an enemy."

Xxx

Ninako ran through the darkness. "Mom... Mom, where are you?"

"If anything should happen... You will do it somehow."

She looks up at the person as they walked through the city of crystal.

"Sailor New Moon is invincible."

"Mom, Dad!"

"Ninako!?"

Xxx

She opened her teary eyes. "Mom..." she said. She buried her head in her pillow.

Seiya and Kurai watched her with concern.

A Starlight doll held a rose out to Ninako.

"Don't cry, lady," the doll said. "If you make a sad face, even this rose will wilt. Now, accept this rose for you. I am called Fighter."

Kurai approached her holding out a Sailor New Moon doll. "I am Sailor New Moon," she said. "Did you have a sad dream?"

Ninako's eyes widened.

"Did I startle you?" said Seiya, holding the doll. "That's called ventriloquism."

"Me too," said Kurai. "I can make it talk, too."

"Hey, Kurai," said Ninako. "Do you know about this?" She held out her star orgel. "This is the star orgel."

Ninako opened the orgel. "Fledgling," it said. "Fledgling..."

"Fledgling?" said Seiya.

"My name," said Ninako. "My mom gave it to me."

Seiya picked up the music box. "Fledgling and the Star Orgel?" he said. As he touched it, fog seeped out of the music box and surrounded him. "Huh?" he thought. "What is this!? An image coiling around me..."

Xxx

They saw a key and crystal hanging on Ninako's necklace. Ninako jumped back and covered her neck.

"Is that your house key?" said Seiya. "That thing now...!" he thought.

"Without this, I can't return home," said Ninako. "It's an important key..."

"Where is your house?" said Seiya.

"I don't know..." she said. "It was far away... And it was close..." Ninako looked up at him. "Say... Is this Sailor New Moon strong?"

"Yeah," said Seiya. "Invincible."

"Maybe she'll save my mom..." she said.

She lay down on the bed with the doll and the rose. "Mom..." Seiya watched her.

Later, Seiya brought Ninako and Kurai back to Kurai's home.

Her mom, Seina, came out and took Ninako inside. "Now, now, Ninako-chan, you had me worried!"

"Have you calmed down a bit?" said Seiya.

"Ninako was carrying something that looked just like the Ginzuisho," said Kurai.

"I know, I saw it," said Seiya. "Along with what looked like a house key. It seems she came here to seek Sailor New Moon's help. She said to save her mom. Let's keep an eye on her a little longer. Okay?"

Kurai gazed ahead blankly.

Seiya took her in his arms.

"Cheer up, Kurai."

Around the corner, Ninako stood and held the Starlight doll.

"Sailor Moon is invincible."

Ninako stared out the window into the sky.


	13. Plant

In the middle of the night, a lot of seeds came down out of the sky and caused lots of strange, evil looking plants to grow all over the city.

The next day, the girls were all walking to school together.

Kurai yawned. "Being as a student and a superhero is totally exhausting. I forgot, thanks for lunch Mana."

"Your welcome Kurai." Mana said.

"You love your pizza don't you?" Reiko said.

"You bet." Kurai said.

Suddenly Kurai stopped. "I feel some evil energy."

"Guys wait up. What's the matter Kurai?" Kiana said.

"I feel it. There's something bad close by." Kurai said.

The girls ran off, but Kurai tripped and fell down.

"Wait for me! Don't leave me, how could you forget me?" Kurai said.

The girls came to the main street and saw all of the people lying on the ground.

"Oh no. What happened to all of these people?" Ava said.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing." Mana said.

"Their energy has been stolen." Kiana said.

"Are you sure?" Reiko said.

"Be super-alert." Mana said.

"I'm sure the culprit is gone by now. Probably gone to find more victims." Kiana said.

"Or plan the next attack." Mana said.

Suddenly one guy who had been lying on the ground grabbed Kiana leg. The guy started lifting Ava's leg up into the air.

"He's got her!" Reiko said.

"Let me go!" Ava said.

But Ava did a flip and kicked the guy away.

Then the other people who had been lying on the ground got up and surrounded the girls. They all had plants growing all over them.

"They're all covered with vines!" Reiko said.

"They seem to be everywhere." Mana said.

"But where did they come from?" Kiana said.

"The plants are controlling these people!" Reiko said.

The girls fought off the zombies.

"Oh no!" Kiana said.

"Take that plant breath!" Reiko said.

"Let go of my nose." Mana said.

Then Reiko used her powers to burn off the plants from the people.

"Imbrem!" Reiko said.

When all of the zombies were defeated, Reiko felt relieved.

"That's a load off." Reiko said.

"Hold on, I'm getting a reading on the energy source that controlled the vines. Almost there... Got it! There it is!" Mana said.

"That puny flower?" Reiko said.

When she pointed to a pink flower, it turned into a demon and grew out some legs. The youma started moving. Kurai was by herself and turned around a corner to see the street where the fighting had taken place.

"Get away from me!" Kurai said.

"Stop that wicked weed!" Reiko said.

"It's after Ninako, run!" Mana said.

"Ninako start running!" Ava said.

"I'm coming Ninako!" Kurai said.

Kurama had Ninako in her arms as they crashed through a store window.

"Reiko!" Mana said.

"Oh no what is it?" Kiana said.

But the demon caught Mana and Kiana. The demon started to steal their energy.

"I can't fight it!" Kiana said.

"It's draining us!" Mana said.  
"It's got Kiana and Mana. It's the one who stole people's energy before." Reiko said. "FAUNA POWER!"  
"MAU POWER!" Ava said.  
"Get this weed off of us!" Mana and Kiana said.

"IMBREM!" Fauna said.

"MITTENT!" Mau said.  
"Let's hope we aren't too late!" Fauna said.  
"It's still alive!" Mau said.  
"That's one stubborn weed!" Fauna said.  
"Let's play!" Youma said.  
"ASTARTE POWER!" Mana said.

"CORONIS POWER!" Kiana said.  
"Here I come, ready or not!" Youma said.  
"RIDESCUNT!" Astarte said.

"TONITRUA!" Coronis said.  
Inside the store, Kurai was lying unconscious on the ground. Ninako recovered and stuck some paper in Kurai's nose (to try to wake her up).

Kurai sneezed, but didn't wake up.

"Boy, she sleeps like she's dead. But at least she doesn't snore, come on Kurai wake up." Ninako said.

After around 18 seconds where Reiko couldn't breathe, she woke up, gasping for air.

"About time you woke up!" Ninako said

"Are you trying to kill me?! That wasn't a good idea!" Kurai said.

"Would've fool me! Didn't want you to miss the fight!" Ninako said.

"It's still on?" Kurai said.

"Yeah and they need help." Ninako said. "Hey nimrod?"

"I'm a bit busy, what is it you brat?" Kurai said.

"Thanks for saving my life. Your a pal. Now do your thing!" Ninako said.

"NEW MOON PRISM POWER!" Kurai transformed into her senshi form.

The Starlights entered the fight as well.

The seven Sailor Senshi were fighting the youma.

"STAR GENTLE UTERUS!" Maker said.  
"It's still coming!" Fauna said.

"STAR SENSITIVE INFERNO!" Healer said.  
But the youma caught them and started stealing their energy.  
"It caught them!" Fauna said.  
"We've got to get them out of there." Fighter said.  
Then Kiboken flew past and cut them loose.

"Sailor New Moon!" Fighter said.

"I know that's me." New Moon said.

Sailor Astarte used the Ridescunt attack to freeze the youma.

"RIDESCUNT! Sailor New Moon, use the sword!" Astarte said.

"HIKO!" New Moon said.

They defeated the plants.

"Good riddance!" Astarte said said.

"Impressive. I never would've believed you fools as having such awesome power." Fiore said.

"Your behind this?" Fauna said.

"Uh-huh. But as you well know, no one ever works completely alone." Fiore said.

"Who are you?" New Moon said.

Then Fiore transformed into his true form, and Kisenian a little makai flower appeared.

Kisenian was attached to Fiore.

"Oh no!" Fauna said. "The Kisienian Blossom!"

"Quite a little welcoming committee. Thank you, Fiore." Kisenian said.

"I believe this planet is perfect for cultivating our plans. The energy seems very good here." Fiore said.

"Let's drain them all dry." Kisenian said.

"Gladly." Fiore said.

But Fiore just blasted Astarte and Healer.

"That's not funny! You weed!" New Moon said.

Fiore blasted her easily.

"New Moon!" Fighter said.

"We'll destroy you. Now let's kill the Fledgling!" Fiore said.

"What's your problem?!" Ninako protested.

"STAR SERIOUS LASER!" Fighter attacked, blowing Fiore away from Ninako.

Fighter landed, his weapon pointed at Fighter. "Leave her alone."

"These women have tricked you Seiya!" Fiore said. "They made you keep me from my beloved!"

"Ninako run! Fiore stop!" Yoko said.

"Why should I?!" Fiore said.

"The reason Earth is so appealing to you is because the senshi drive out the negative forces!" Fighter said.

"They are the negative forces!" Fiore said.

"Be careful Fighter!" New Moon said.

Fiore flicked out his hand, aiming for New Moon.

"Fiore, NOOO!" Fighter said.

Fiore accidentally hit Fighter, who transformed back into his human form, Seiya. New Moon was shocked.

"NOOO!" New Moon said, and looked up at Fiore from the ground eyes flashing and a gutteral growl in her throat. "What have you DONE!"

"Seiya!" Fiore said.

"Seiya...you saved my life..." New Moon quickly began healing him but was assaulted by poison, which rebounded on her hands, turning them black. She quickly pulled away and her body returned to normal, but Seiya's life was in danger.

"If you want the antidote then let me be with my beloved. The both of you—decide now!" Fiore said.

"YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!" New Moon fired a blast at him, but he was gone.

"SEIYA!"


	14. Tree

Seiya and Kurai were gaping at Ninako who had much to reveal.

"Save the future Earth of the 30th century!" Ninako cried.

"Ninako... You... You came from the future!?" Kurai said.

"I crossed time," she said. "I came here from Crystal Tokyo, from the 30th century. I didn't believe it at first, but it's true. There was a sudden explosion... Crystal Tokyo, and everyone... I want to save my mom. But I don't know how to do it. I don't really know what happened..." She rested in Seiya's arms.

The Starlights and Fallen Senshi were astounded by what they have heard.

"The antidote for the poison is with Fiore in the future." Ninako said. "So hurry up. We don't have time to waste."

"Give us a second to come up with a plan." Seiya weakly patted Ninako on the head.

"So the Kisienian Blossom comes from the Makai?" Kiana said.

"That's right. The Kisienian Blossom is one of the most dangerous creatures in the Makai. A most wicked weed indeed." Reiko said. "Her aim is to gather all the energy from the realm. She usually stays in the makai and wreaks havok amongst different parts of the demon realm. This is the first time I've ever laid eyes on her in the Ningenkai but I've heard the legend often even in my past lives. On her own, Kisienian is just another flower. So she needs someone to act on her behalf. A kind of pawn. So she waits for someone with a vulnerable heart to come along."

"And she somehow puts them under her spell." Mana said.

"Exactly, she plants the seeds of negativity and turns a pure heart into a dark one. And from there her power will grow until she destroys everything. Once Kisienian is done with a particular world, the pawn becomes dispensable, and the world filled with hatred." Reiko said.

"So poor Fiore is just another one of her victims." Kiana said.

"I suppose if you want to look at it that way. I say he had to have started out as a dark soul." Kurai scowled.

"That's biased, Reiko." Mana pointed out.

"Shut up." Kurai said. "Seiya just got poisoned by that awful demon so if I want to slander him I will."

"I've analyzed the energy of that plant that we fought with, and I've found the same kind of energy is given off by the planet which is approaching the earth." Mana said.

"Then we've got to go after her!" Taiki said.

"And fast, she must be stopped!" Ava said.

"Let's make that plant mulch!" Yaten said.

"Remember Seiya is poisoned. We've gotta make sure that we get him healed safe and sound." Reiko said.

"There's no way! It's too dangerous. We're not going anywhere. It's my fault, and I won't lose anymore friends. I'm not strong enough. Seiya, sorry I'm a wimp who needs protection." Kurai sad.

"That's not true!" Mana said.

"Why is it do you think we fight for you?" Kurai said.

"Mental void?" Kurai said.

"It's because we value your friendship." Reiko said.

"Yeah, and friends will always fight on the same side." Ava said.

"Because you brought us together. You and Seiya keep us together." Yaten said.

"And we can't let our friend Seiya go." Taiki said.

"Right." Kurai said.

Xxx

Night fell over the City. Sailor New Moon, the Starlights, and Fallen Senshi stood outside with Ninako, who holds up the key from her necklace.

"This is a 'space-time key' used to time travel and it is how I came from the 30th Century." Ninako said.

"Kurai and the others may not be able to go to the future," thought Ninako.

"Don't let me leave you," she said.

She raises her key into the air. "Time Guardian! Tear apart the sky, and open the space-time door to me! I call the true name of the almighty god of time, the time guardian's father! Chronos! Reveal to me the path of light!"

A blinding vortex of light flashes in the sky above her. Kurai, Seiya, and the others all exclaim over the brightness and the overwhelming, crushing pressure around them from the vortex.

Ninako was drawn by the vortex. Kurai grabbed onto her arms. "Ninako!?" Her grasp began to slip, and Ninako flew into the light. "Oh no!" cried Kurai. "Ninako!?" The wind roared around her. "Ninako!?"

Xxx

"Fiore, your beloved has been summoned by the little fledgling." Kisenian said.

"Yes soon I will be by her side once more." Fiore said, looking into a flower and seeing the senshi next to the Space-Time door.

"Yes...soon."

Xxx

They had now been pulled into the vortex and are surrounded by darkness, desperately seeking out Ninako.

"There's a hole opening in the darkness!" Reiko shouted.

"Do not go in there! Stay where you are!" Seiya heard in his mind

The brooch on Kurai's chest begins to glow. "The Ginzuisho... Look!" They saw a large wooden door surrounded in mist. "Is that... the door!?"

"Stop!" a voice called. "From here is the future. You cannot proceed." The woman steps forward. She carried a long staff resembling a key. A sailor suit covers her dark skin. Her dark hair tied back in a ponytail blew in the wind. "I am the watcher of the space-time door, the Goddess of Eternal Night. I am Sailor Nyx! And I will eliminate those who violate the law."

They gasp. "Sailor Nyx!?"

She holds her staff out and shouts, "Sphera!"

Kurai cried out in pain as wind whipped sharply across her skin.

"Sailor New Moon!"

Reiko stared at the woman. "Sailor Nyx!" she thought. "She actually exists here... No one has ever seen her before. The solitary guardian of time...!"

"Sailor Nyx!?" said Kurai. "No way... She's a sailor soldier!? We didn't know about her!"

"Sailor New Moon," Sailor Nyx said. "No matter who you are, I cannot allow you to break the law. My mission must be to destroy you." She raised her staff again.

"Wait! Sailor Nyx!"

She turns around and sees Ninako running quickly toward her. The girl jumps into her arms and hugs her.

"Fledgling!" said Nyx.

"You've got it wrong!" said Ninako. "I brought them here! Don't kill them! I'm sorry... I broke my promise. I had to bring others with me."

"Fledgling..." Nyx said. "Where have you been!?"

"I thought the Ginzuisho carried by the soldier of legend, Sailor New Moon, would be much stronger than ours. So, I went to the past..."

"The power of the crystal is everlasting," said Nyx. "In any time, it would be the same. It doesn't matter. You broke your promise to me, stole the space-time key, and went to the past without permission."

"Please, don't get mad at me!"

"But, you're safe... Oh, Fledgling! Please don't make me worry like that." She knelt down. "Forgive my rudeness, Princess."

"Princess!?" said Kurai. "Ninako!?"

Ninako stood up. "That's right! I hadn't told you about it, but I am the princess. And since you are just ordinary people, you should all be more polite to me."

Kurai grimaced. "So you're a princess? Well, then who are your parents! And didn't they teach you any manners?"

"What!?" said Ninako. "How dare you talk to me like that!"

Nyx smiled as she watched them. "Your family has had me here since long ago. Now go. The door has opened." She motioned toward the door.

Ninako held onto Kurai's arm. "This is it, Kurai."

"Wait," said Kurai. "What about you, Sailor Nyx?"

"I cannot leave here," she says. "Visitors, please protect Fledgling."

They all stared at the light shining through the large doorway. "On the other side... The 30th century..." They walked through.

They found themselves looking at a large city before them. The buildings are made of crystal and glass. The moon shone in the sky.

"The moon is so close..." Kurai said. "It's just hanging there."

As they walked forward, the door closed behind them and vanished.

"This... is the future..." thought Kurai. "Crystal Tokyo... Such a quiet city."

"This doesn't feel right," Ava said. "It's too quiet. We should look a little closer."

Ninako held onto Seiya's arm, looking at the ground.

They saw buildings devastated and torn down. "Everything's ruined..." A fog surrounded them as they walked further into the city.

"Why aren't there any people?" asked Yaten. "Oh my god!" He saw decaying corpses scattered across the ground.

Seiya looked out and saw flowers spread over the ground. "Kisenian..."

He coughed and collapsed to the ground.

"Quickly...get into the Crystal Palace." A voice called.

The Starlights lifted Seiya and they all went into the Crystal Palace.

All was quiet.

A specter fed Seiya the antidote and he began to calm.

He passed by a mirror in the wall. His image didn't show on it.

"That man..." thought Kurai. "There's no reflection in the mirror..." She looked at the floor below him. "No shadow, either!?"

"This form isn't solid," he said. "My real body is asleep in a separate room. This spirit is sent out from it. I am King Seiya."

Seiya's eyes widened. "King... Seiya!?"

"Don't look so shocked," the man said. "That's right. I am your future self, Sailor Star Fighter."


	15. Branch

_"The future Star Fighter!?"_ thought Kurai.

"Come on, Fledgling," said the king. "Have you properly introduced yourself?"

Ninako curtsied. "Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you are in good health. My name is Simplicity "Ninako" Fledgling Kou. I am the daughter of Neo-Queen Kaguya and King Seiya, the first princess of the Crystal Millennium. It is a pleasure to meet you all."

"Good job," said King Seiya. "Being able to do a polite introduction is the first step to becoming a queen-like lady."

"Daughter..." says Kurai.

"Sailor New Moon, Star Fighter," the king says. "This child is your daughter."

Kurai and Seiya stared at Ninako, bewildered.

_"Ninako's... my daughter!?"_ Kurai thought. _"And Seiya's!?"_

"Ninako's their daughter!?" said Reiko. "Then, Neo-Queen Kaguya would be..."

"Right," the king says. "The queen of the Crystal Millennium, and now the queen of Crystal Tokyo... Neo-Queen Kaguya is your future self, Sailor New Moon."

Kurai walked up to the crystal and stone tomb holding the queen. "Myself... In the 30th century..."

"Is that the Ginzuisho encasing the queen?" asked Taiki. "Why is she like that? King, what happened to her? Is she sleeping? Or... is she..."

"I don't know..." he said. "If she's alive, or dead..."

Ninako looked up. "Mother was leaving the palace. She was in a big hurry..."

"In one moment..." said the king. "One blast... Then a huge explosion. A sudden attack. Everything was blown away... With the Ginzuisho, we left the Crystal Palace. Afterwards, the land was still with the air of death. To protect the princess, she was closed in crystal. But near her were her four guardian soldiers. Sailor Mau, Astarte, Fauna, and Coronis. They and I... We took a direct hit, and were defeated... We closed the palace down after that, but they used poison gas. One after another, people started dying from it..."

Ninako shuddered as he described it.

"My daughter Ninako was the only one who wasn't affected, so she was saved. I had often told her stories of when the queen was Sailor New Moon. The strongest soldier of legend, Sailor New Moon. Then it occurred to me to send her to the past to get help."

"Why aren't you growing old?" Mana asked the king. "How are you keeping your bodies from changing?"

"The lifespan of people in the Crystal Millennium is about one thousand years. After adulthood is reached, the aging process is stopped. When Kaguya was 22, she ascended to the throne and gave birth to the first princess. After that, she maintained the same figure. It's all because of the power of the Ginzuisho. I have also become a member of the Crystal Millennium, and so have the same longevity. Crystal Tokyo, like the Crystal Millennium, entered the age of long life when we ascended to the throne in the 21st century. Now most of the people on Earth enjoy long lives from the power of the crystal. We lived on Earth in peace. That is, for a time. Now Crystal Tokyo is in ruin. Only the Ginzuisho can save the world. But Neo-Queen Kaguya is the only one who can use it, and she won't wake up. So there's nothing we can do..."

He turned and started to walk away.

"King!" called Yaten. "Was it the Black Moon who did all this!? Who are they? Where are they now!? And what on earth is that black megalith?"

"Follow me." He lead them to an operations room, with a bank of keypads and readouts below a huge monitor that reaches to the ceiling. He hits a button. The monitor displays a view of space, focusing on a glowing black meteor.

"What is that...?" Kiana said.

"Morga," the king said. "The plant meteor from a far off plant based planet called Makaiju. We weren't able to calculate it's trajectory, so we weren't sure of its existence. The mystical planet of darkness...From the area we estimate it's located, we've discovered a huge amount of negative energy being released. Because of that, we are certain it's there.

"While guarding the Time-Space Door, Sailor Nyx caught sight of an invader, Fiore. She confronted him, and was softened by his loneliness. She gave him a forget-me-not as he entered the palace to become my advisor, and he promised to return and bring her many flowers. Morga, the mother of the Kisenian Flowers, possessed Fiore, my advisor, and caused him to stage a coup. The Kisenian Flowers invaded Crystal Tokyo before being expelled by Neo-Queen Kaguya to the planet Kisenia. Although Fiore was in control of the Kisenian Flowers, Morga manipulated him behind his back. They managed to turn all of Crystal Tokyo into zombies, attacking the Crystal Points and weakening the Starlights into comatose state, including the other senshi and the Queen and I as well."

"Fiore is a traitor," said Ninako.

"His real goal," says King Seiya, "is probably to defeat us, steal the Ginzuisho, and take this planet for their own."

Ava remembers the flower they saw on their way to the palace. "Releasing negative energy... Kurai! That flower is the Kisenian!"

"The Kisenian!?" the king asks.

"Fiore used it as the source of his energy when he attacked," Kurai said. "It carries negative power. King! Fiore came right after Ninako, looking for the Ginzuisho. Using their flowers, they're beginning to invade the earth of the past too. So is it in danger as well...?"

"Invading the past!?" says the king. "If that's true, this is very serious indeed. They're using the time warp...!"

Ninako wiped a tear from her eye as she left the Crystal Palace.

Fiore appeared in the air above her. "Well, well. Seems you're defenseless. What happened to your attendant? You came out of the castle all by yourself..."

Ninako felt two hands wrap around her neck from behind. The Luna-P ball beeps.

Sailor Nyx appeared, having watched everything. "Fledgling!?"

Fiore laughs as the hands choke the girl. He raised her into the air. "Well, Fledgling. You have the blood of the Crystal Millennium, of Neo-Queen Kaguya. Show me your power."

Ninako tried to breathe. "You have the blood of the Crystal Millennium, of Neo-Queen Kaguya. ...your power..." "Power..." she thought. "I have power..."

"Ninako!" called Kurai. She rushed toward her, followed by Reiko and Seiya.

"IMBREM!" Fauna shouted.

The vines cut Fiore's hands, freeing Ninako. She fell into the arms of Seiya. Kurai glances at them before looking up and seeing Fiore throw down one of the Kisenian blossoms. "Watch out!" called the king. "Get out of the way!" They dropped to the ground as the flower struck and exploded.

Kurai got up and held out Kiboken. "HIKO!" She looked at the sword in horror as it glowed dully. "The weapon doesn't work?"

Six more hands reach out from Fiore, grabbing onto the necks of Kurai, Reiko, and Seiya and strangling them.

_"It hurts..."_ thought Kurai. _"The strength's leaving my body... I'm losing my power..."_

"S-Star...S-Serious...LASER!" Seiya choked out.

Fiore was blasted back.

Kurai sat there, furious at her uselessness, but she still pulled Ninako close, healing her and protecting her from Fiore.

"It's alright." King Seiya said. "You are strong. It's only because there are two of you in this world that makes you feel this way. Don't worry. You will find the strength to fight—or we wouldn't be here!"

Fiore recovered. "Ah...the way you blew me away. How befitting of the Queen protected by my beloved."

Nyx turned around and looked at him. "Don't pretend you still love me. You don't even remember my name!"

Fiore's face softenened. "Of course I do, Moa. The time has come for all the wrongs to be righted. I hope you're pleased with your future, Sailor New Moon, Starlights, Senshi, and you...Fledgling. In the 30th century, things will be very different."

"Fiore!" yelled Kurai. "What do you want!? What are you doing with this planet!? How do your know Nyx? Tell me!"

"Everything I have done...is for Nyx...for my beloved." Fiore said.

The air filled with the sent of Kisenian blossoms.

Fiore extended his hand and drew Nyx into his arms with his telekinetic power.

Her Key Staff clattered to the ground.

Fiore and Nyx disappeared.

"No...NO!" Ninako yelled. "NYX!"

And a crystal tear fell from her eyes.


	16. Bloom

Ninako appeared in a sailor suit.

"Fledgling!" said King Seiya.

"She transformed...!" said Reiko.

"Ninako!" said Kurai.

"Kurai..." she said. "I..."

"The birth of a new soldier," said Seiya. "She inherited the power of Sailor New Moon."

"Seiya!"

"The awakening of a new soldier!" The king walked up to Ninako.

There was a pulse from Kaguya's sleeping form.

"Dad!" she said. She turns around. "Nyx! Look! I transformed!

"Look at me!" she said. "Nyx! Nyx..." She fell to her knees, with tears in her eyes. "I finally transformed... But I'm not happy at all! Come! NYX!"

Xxx

The air was filled with darkness.

"Where am I?" Moa lifted her head, touching her caramel skin and blonde hair.

Moa opened her eyes. She sat up on the ground. "My head hurts... What happened to me...?" She saw herself wearing an elegant black dress. "What... What am I wearing!? My rod!" She looked around for it and found it was gone. She stood up. "Where is this?" She saw flowers everywhere.

"Didn't I tell you, Moa? I said I would bring you many flowers."

Moa turned around and saw Fiore.

"That was before you betrayed me—betrayed all of us!" Moa hissed.

"You chose your duty to the Space Time Gate over me." Fiore said. "But the moment that wench is in danger you abandon your duty and come to Earth—that was your mistake. Now you belong to me!"

Fiore sat on the bed.

"This place...we are on the Xenian comet...outside present day Earth." Moa said. "Do you plan to destroy the holy land—or is that her plan...Morga."

"I am the one in charge!" Fiore commanded.

He sat closer to her, slipping his arms around her, kissing down her neck.

"Once they are all dead...we will be free!" Fiore said. "We can be together. Just let Morga have her way!"

His lips found hers, kissing her seductively. She bit down hard.

"I will never abandon my post! I am the Guardian of the Underworld, Sailor Nyx! And I am the Goddess of Night! I will protect my Queen!" Moa shouted.

Her form shimmered, and she was once again in her serafuku.

She called her Garnet Rod to her and there was a shudder in the air, and the door of Space Time appeared, and she went to it.

Nyx turned, face softened. "I am sorry Fiore. Please remember somehow that we once loved each other, and that you too, loved this world as I do. Goodbye."

Xxx

"Nyx! You're back!" Kurai said.

"The Queen sent my rod to me just in time." Nyx said.

"Yes. I did." Neo-Queen Kaguya stood before them, as did King Seiya, solid. "Now the Final Battle begins. I shall send you to the Xenian comet in your world. You must use all of your power to stop it."


	17. Nectar

Seiya joined them in the park. They all transformed and transported to the meteor.

"Target ahead." Astarte said.

When the Senshi got close to the meteor, the meteor changed its shape from that of a seed to a flower.

"Weird the entire planet is cover in pink flowers." Coronis said.

"Enemy on turbo approach!" Astarte said.

"What is that, Astarte?" New Moon said.

"Hang on, I'm analyzing it now. Looks like the headquarters, and Fiore's there." Astarte said.

"Then let's go!" Fauna said.

"Wait. It could be a trap." Fighter said.

"You've been trained well Senshi. But rest assure I would never use my friend as bait, least not for such an easy catch." Fiore said.

Then when the Senshi were looking around to see where Fiore was, Fiore popped out from the flowers.

"It's him!" Mau said.

"Although I didn't think you'd actually come. You don't strike me as that loyal." Fiore said.

"You cannot destroy Earth!" New Moon said. "That won't make Moa love you."

Fiore's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Oh but she loves me. She just choose her duty over her heart, as all senshi must. But when I destroy her world she will return to me!"

"These are the seeds of my flower. And pretty soon we will be close enough to plant them on Earth. Millions of pods, each containing the seeds of our power. They'll grow on any surface, and before you know it Earth will carpeted by Kisienian blossoms." Fiore said.

"And the Kisienian blossoms feed on..." Healer said.

"Energy! The human race will be sucked dry and become extinct!" Fiore said.

"Not if I can help it!" New Moon said.

New Moon attacked, and Fiore disappeared back into the flowers.

"He disappeared again!" Fighter said.

"What's wrong?" Maker said.

"Were surrounded! There are negative forces all around us!" Astarte said.

"I can feel it's negativity!" New Moon said.

"Oh no! They're multiplying!" Astarte said.

"The flowers!" Coronis said.

Suddenly a lot of demons started popping out of the flowers.

"Mau, let's nip this in the bud with your flames, think you can do it?" Coronis said.

"You bet!" Mau said.

"Get ready to cover her." Fighter said.

"Better retreat, regroup and destroy them!" Fiore said.

"Watch out you guys! The flowers are fixing to increase their fighting power!" Astarte said.

"Farewell!" Fiore said.

"They're multiplying!" New Moon said.

"They're too many!" Coronis said.

"Fauna, move!" Astarte said.

Then all of the others except for Fauna got surrounded by the demons. New Moon was on the ground and saw the other senshi get "eaten up" by the demons.

"Oh no I don't believe this! Oh please you guys don't do this, I need you!" New Moon sobbed. "I can't do this by myself!"

"What a coward! I saw how you abandoned your so called friends, what a fool!" Fiore said.

"Que—" New Moon began.

"Stop!" Fiore said.

He made the others appear out of the ground. The Senshi were tied up to a large plant.

"New Moon, surrender! Hand over your Naginata or lose your friends!" Fiore said.

"Stop!" New Moon screamed.

Then Fiore demonstrated, shocking the senshi.

"Unforgivable!" New Moon said, tears falling.

"Drop your weapon or I kill them." Fiore said.

"No! You can't let evil touch Kiboken!" Fauna pleaded.

"Don't let him use us against you!" Astarte said.

"Don't give in to him!" Fighter said.

"You cannot surrender it, not even for us!" Coronis said.

"What's your choice? Your going to abandon them again?" Fiore said.

A dark aura surrounded New Moon as she gave in to the darkness and transformed into Sadako yet again.

Sadako smiled and raised her sword high in the air and plunged it into Fiore's chest.

He coughed up blood.

"RED LIGHT FREEZING KISS!" Sailor Crimson Moon, or Ninako, released the senshi.

Sailor Blue Moon had bright blue hair, blue serafuku, and a heart broach.

"Every century there is one moon that bodes ill for all her enemies!" Sailor Blue Moon said. "I am Sailor Crimson Moon!"

The aura receded from Sadako and she returned to Sailor New Moon's form. New Moon pulsed, and became Princess New Moon. She joined hands with Crimson Moon, and Crimson Moon became Princess Crimson Moon.

Now instead of her tiara Crimson Moon had a real pearl crown, and she had white lace all over her serafuku.

"Lets do this Mother." Princess Crimson Moon said.

"What's happening to me? I'm not used to these emotions." Fiore said, struggling, using the Kisenian to stay alive.

"Fiore, she's tricked you. All she wants is for the senshi to help her take Moa away from you again." Kisenian said.

"My beloved, she can't have her!" Fiore said.

"If you help me fight her, I'll make sure that Moa remembers your special bond. But your beloved will never come back to you until Kurai and the senshi are gone. Together we are invincible!" Kisenian said.

Kisenian's power transformed Fiore again, and gave him more power.

Using the new power acquired from Kisenian, Fiore caught New Moon and started stealing her energy.

"You can scream all you want but my followers won't give up unless I tell them. So give up your claim to Moa, and I may tell them to stop." Fiore said.

After having lots of energy taken, New Moon fell to the ground.

"Farewell, New Moon," Fiore said.

"Mommy!" Crimson Moon clung to Fighter.

"Don't, DON'T! New Moon done more for me than anyone." Coronis said.

"She's the best friend you could wish for. Just ask Moa, and she can be your friend too." Seiya said.

"You could join us Fiore. Put your powers towards building more friendships." Astarte said.

"You think I'm a fool? Your just trying to trick me into letting her go so she can take Moa away." Fiore said.

"Your the one who's been tricked. Kisienian's blossom wants to rule alone. She'll destroy you Fiore. Once she gets what she wants, your history and Moa will be too." Mau said.

"No! Kisienian is no traitor! She'll find a place for Moa in her plans. And New Moon is the big obstacle into making that happen. Time to die!" Fiore said.

Just as Fiore was going to strike New Moon, Crimson Moon got in front of her and Fiore saw the same lonely look in her as Moa.

"Moa wouldn't want this." Crimson Moon said.

"I...I'm so sorry." Fiore said.

Then all of the flowers on the meteor vanished.

"It's bare." Coronis said.

"The flowers vanished." Mau said.

"Earth is safe, we've foiled Kisienian's mission." Astarte said.

Then the meteor changed directions.

Kisenian laughed. "I forgot to give you your parting gifts. The core of the planet is going to self-destruct on Earth. In a few minutes you'll be on a crash course home, without enough power to teleport off this rock."

"And once we've landed, I'll suck the earthlings dry in your memory my faithful servants!" Kisenian said.

"You'll do no such thing Kisienian!" New Moon said.

Then New Moon got up and put her hand to the ginzuisho on her chest.

"Not that!" Coronis said.

"Don't do it, New Moon!" Astarte said.

"The ginzuisho is too powerful!" Fauna said.

"It'll take all your strength!" Fighter said.

"Don't do it!" Mau said.

"It's cool, why have the moon crystal if I'm not supposed to use it? Don't worry, everything will be all right. Now let's get home safe and sound, OK?" New Moon said.

Fiore grabbed the ginzusho, which was still on New Moon's chest and tried to stop her.

"If you think your going to change this planet's trajectory, your wrong. Give me the ginzuisho!" Fiore said.

"I can make you better. Your heart is still pure. We can be friends, if you trust me." New Moon said.

"Your lying!" Fiore said.

"Maybe you'll believe me once I show you how Moa became my friend." Crimson Moon said, stepping forward.

Xxx

Hey! Hey stupid!" A boy chased Ninako through the swings.

"Yeah that's right run!" A girl said.

"Are you sure you're the Queen's daughter?" The boy said. "You don't look like Kaguya.

"Do you even have any special powers?" The girl asked.

"Do you?" The boy pressed.

"I...I..." Ninako stuttered. She ran away.

She headed to a strange large door. "Who are you?"

She stared up at the blonde senshi.

"I am Sailor Nyx, Guardian of the Door to Space-Time." Moa said. "You can call me Moa."

Ninako was quiet for a moment. "Moa...do you think my mom and dad love me?"

"Now why are you talking nonsense like that?" Moa said. "Of course your parents love you Ninako."

Ninako made a mournful face. "I always play alone and sometimes eat alone too."

"Holding you close, and giving you kisses aren't the only symbols of love. Quietly watching from afar is a form of love too." Moa said.

"Who told you that?" Ninako muttered.

"My Grandfather. And your Mother." Moa said.

Xxx

"Moa said that..." Fiore said.

The ginzuisho started to activate. New Moon's clothes unraveled into strips of ribbons, just barely covering her.

"The Ginzuisho's changing. A flower!" Fiore said.

"Fiore, take the ginzuisho and get rid of her! Fiore!" Kisenian screamed.

Kisenian got destroyed. Fiore disappeared too.

The meteor started breaking up as it started entering the earth's atmosphere.

New Moon released all of her power. "SHINJITSU!"

The others released their power to her, to strengthen her.

"RIGESCUNT!" Astarte said.

"IMBREM!" Coronis said.

"MITTENT!" Mau said.

"TONITRUA!" Fauna said.

"STAR FURIOUS SABER!" Fighter said.

"STAR GENTLE HOMELAND!" Maker Said.

"STAR KINDNESS HEARTH!" Healer said.

"RED LIGHT FREEZING KISS!" Crimson Moon said.

New Moon used all her power, the ginzuisho shattered, and the meteor moved harmlessly into orbit with Earth. She then fainted, looking still as death.

"Wake up, wake up New Moon! You did it! You saved the planet" Fauna sobbed. "New Moon! No! You said everything would be alright!"

"The Ginzuisho used up all her strength, we can't lose her!" Astarte said.

"Wake up! You can't leave us alone like this!" Fighter said.

"Don't go New Moon. Your the glue that holds all of us together." Coronis said.

Xxx

Fiore was standing in front of the Gate.

"Moa?!" Fiore said.

"Yes my love. It is me." Nyx said. "You've finally come home. And now you have to make a choice. Duty or your heart?"

"I choose my heart! You've always known this!" Fiore demanded.

Nyx showed him the dying Kurai. "She's your Princess too. And you alone have the power to save her. That is your duty. Do you understand now, Fiore?"

Fiore sighed. "I do. I understand your choice...and what is now my choice."

Xxx

Fiore appeared.

"I finally understand." Fiore said.

"Fiore." Fighter said.

"All of you delivered me from Kisienian's destructive grasp. Thanks to you, I'm still able to give you this. My life." Fiore said. "This is the Tomodachi flower. It holds my life energy. Give its nectar to the Princess."

Seiya took the nectar of Fiore's flower to his lips. Then he kissed Kurai.

The Ginzuisho started to glow brilliantly again. Then Kurai's eyes opened slowly.

"We saved Earth?" Kurai said.

"Yes." Seiya said.

"Thank you. Without you, I never could have held the Ginzuisho until the very end. So from now on, when I say it'll be all right, you'll believe me?" Kurai said.

"Yeah." Seiya said.

The senshi sobbed. "We love you Kurai!"


	18. Snowscape

Earth. The Moon. And a sparkle of light beyond. A glowing comet, its surface frozen and snowy, was heading for the Earth. On the comet, a woman in blue, made of ice.

"The beautiful Planet Earth. With the touch of my cold hands, I see an icy future. I shall perfect its beauty and it will be all mine." Queen Kaguya said.

Alisabeth Moeto was looking through a telescope and saw the comet, then noticed with surprise the five sparkles that come from it toward the Earth.

"Hmm, wonder if I'll see anything interesting tonight. Hello, what's this?" Lizzie said.

She rushed outside of his observatory just in time to see one of the sparkles land in her eye.

"Ouch!" Lizzie said, and fainted.

_Xxx_

"_Awaken." _

_Kurai Tsukino looked up in the darkness._

_A woman with long dark hair to her waist and a star on her forehead held out a hand to her._

"_Goddess of Death! You must awaken! The end is coming."_

_Kurai looked at the woman. She had dark blue eyes, and her face looked so pained. _

"_You must stop it." _

_Kurai stared at her. "Stop what? Who are you?"_

"_Stop? Stop me...Stop you..." _

_Blood covered her, spilling onto the floor, staining her dress._

"_AWAKEN!" _

Xxx

Kurai woke up and tried to shake off the dream.

But she couldn't.

Who was that woman? An enemy? Or someone she could save? Why was she so familiar?

Bump.

"Outta the way, Kurai!" Nina shoved and ran up and jumped on Seiya's back. "Let's gooo!"

Seiya laughed and set Nina down in front of her school. "Go on in, Nina." He turned to Kurai. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

"Mm." Kurai held onto Seiya, and looked up at him. He looked into her eyes and kisses her.

_"Awaken."_

Seiya pulled back.

"Seiya?" Kurai looked at him.

"No, it's nothing." Seiya smiled.

_"One moment I'm happy,"_ Kurai thought. _"The next I'm filled with anxiety. This happiness won't last long. I'm worried. There's nothing I can do. But... It's fate. I can overcome whatever happens. That's the mission I carry on my shoulders. That's my ordeal."_

Xxx

_Sandra Jenkins was lying in the ruins of a city. It was completely destroyed and everyone was dead._

"_What's happening? Where is everyone?" _

_She looked around. _

"_That's right...everyone is dead." Theresa Jenkins, Sandra's wife, was standing in front of her. "Don't be afraid. We still have time. We must find the Tennyo, and destroy her. It is the only way to stop this from happening. It is up to you and me." _

_Sandra covered her face, and began to cry._

Xxx

Sandra entered the Starlights Concert.

She began to cheer, and her wife came over.

"You hear it, don't you." Theresa said. "The wind is rustling."

"What is it that you want from me, Theresa?" Sandra said, wondering if Theresa knew her dreams.

"I just want to dance with you." Theresa said simply.

"Hmph. Not tonight." Sandra snapped and left.


	19. Blue Moon

Theresa climbed out of the bath and got dressed. "What a lovely morning. If I don't go to meet him now, I'll be late. The sea is rough today."

Sandra finished up in the dojo.

Seiya and Kurai passed him on the way to Karaoke Crown. "That woman's really grumpy looking." Kurai said.

"You don't know her?" said Seiya. "That's Sandra. She's a martial arts master."

Theresa met up with Sandra.

"You're late." Sandra said. "The wind is raging today."

Kurai went into the dojo and practiced with her sword against the training dummies.

She whirled gracefully and landed, finishing the dummy off.

"Whoa. I couldn't feel how fast I was going." Kurai said.

"Hey," Sandra said.. "Thinking like that is a quality of a true exorcist."

Seiya headed to the cafeteria. He bumped into Theresa, who was standing outside.

"Oh," Seiya said.. "Excuse me."

Their hands touched as they both reach to pick up her books.

Theresa looked at him. "The color of your eyes is very noble. Perhaps you were a noble in a previous life."

"A...noble..." Seiya said.

Sandra saw the two standing outside. "Let's spar sometime, Princess." She left.

"I'm sorry," Theresa said to Seiya. "That was a strange thing to say. Don't think badly of me. Goodbye." She walked away with Sandra.

_"She was beautiful, but I couldn't read her face." _Seiya thought.

"So you've made another friend," Theresa said to Sandra.

"Jealous?" asked Sandra.

Xxx

Seiya and Kurai were in the park on a mission to look for monsters.

Two girls walked by.

The Ginzuisho began to glow.

"Kurai?" Seiya said.

One of the girls doubled over, and a diamond came out from her back. Kurai gasped.

"A monster!?"

"NEW MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"

"FIGHTER CRYSTAL POWER!"

Fighter brandished his new saber against the strange monster but it wasn't enough.

"Fighter be careful! The human host is still alive!" New Moon said.

"Th-That's not possible!" Fighter said.

"SHINJITSU!" New Moon splayed out her hand and purified the daimon.

The girl fell to the ground, as the part attached to her faded away.

"It separated from a human!?" Fighter said.

"Hurry!" New Moon said.. "Call for first aid!"

Cocoon and Chuu watched from a distance.

_"Someone's eyes..."_ thought Kurai. _"Is the monster still...!?"_ She turned around. _"No one's there!?"_

_"The instant when that girl changed into a monster..." _Seiya thought. _"I saw...both the soul...and the darkness...separate. Is this a new kind of monster?"_

A faint light glowed around Sailor Cocoon and Chuu.

Xxx

Seiya grinned at Ninako.

"Ah, Ninako," Seiya said. "Going home by yourself? Watch out for cars."

"I'm not a little kid, Papa." Ninako pointed out.

"Sure." Seiya smirked.

Ninako headed home and suddenly noticed that the moon in the sky was blue.

"Its...a blue moon..." Ninako said.

Suddenly she felt a sharp pain.

Ninako wandered around. "For some reason... I can't use my power..." She saw a car speeding toward her. "Oh no..."

"Look out!" a voice called.

_"Oh..."_ Ninako thought. _"Before I die... For once... If I could see Mama and Papa again..."_

Everything went black.


	20. Bond

_What...? It smells sweet... I wonder if this is heaven..." _Ninako saw a blonde haired girl looking down at her. "_I...I'm hungry..." _

"Ah, you're awake," the blonde said. "Your stomach growled. Want something to eat?"

_"I...!?"_ Ninako thought. _"I was saved? You saved me?"_

"It's good you weren't hit by that car," the girl said. "But you did scrape your arm a little." A cloth was tied around her arm, and it was cleaned up.

"Hey..." the girl said. "Eat up. Your powers will return."

_"This person seems nice..."_ Ninako thought as she ate, her powers indeed returning. _"Who is she? And, where on earth am I? Why can't I use my powers?"_

Souichi burst into the room. "Lizzie? What are you doing in the guest room?"

Lizzie drew a screen to block Ninako from view. "I have a patient."

She paused, then looked up at her friend. "Papa. Did you announce the discovery of my comet?"

Souichi gave her a look. "Yes of course."

"Fascinating." Lizzie said. "Goodnight."

As Lizzie was turning, Ninako could just make out a silver moon on her forehead.

Xxx

That night, Ninako listened as Lizzie came into the house. She was still too injured to get up on her own.

"I heard you stayed up for the past three nights working on that crystal you found. Is it complete?" Ninako asked.

"Yes it i—" Lizzie doubled over and cried out in pain.

Ninako looked up in alarm. "Lizzie you shouldn't push yourself. You're looking pale."

"I'll be fine after some rest, Ninako," Lizzie said.

"How did you do Lizzie? Did your discovery of the comet win you the National Science Award?" Ninako said.

"I'm waiting for the results," Lizzie said.. "After one week. I hope to become a real scientist, just like dad."

"You'll be chosen," Ninako said. "Soon you'll be the youngest scientist in Japan."

"Well I am younger than you, Ninako." Lizzie laughed. She changed Ninako's bandages.

The girl was quiet and gentle, and after finishing she sat down in the chair and drifted off to sleep.

Ninako watched her, flicking her uninjured arm out and covering her for warmth. "_She was up all night tending to me..."_

The TV in the corner was on, and Sugisaki was reporting.

"This is still top-secret, but several days ago, the comet Princess Snow Kaguya suddenly appeared. It's hard to believe, but this time it's been identified as having a collision course for Earth."

_"What did she say!?"_ Ninako thought.

"It has a diameter of 10 kilometers. Clearly, it was a comet the same size that wiped out the dinosaurs when it collided with Earth. An emergency meeting of every country is being called. Unless we can somehow stop it..."

They zoomed in on photos of the comet.

Ninako gasped. "_It looked just like Lizzie's Crystal!"_

Xxx

Kurai was talking with Seiya about Atavism and its link with the Infinity School.

Seiya's phone rang. "Hello? Ninako?!"

"Hello Papa." Ninako said on the phone. "I'm over at a friend's house. I think you should take a look at the Infinity District; that's where I saw those two Senshi heading last night."

"Alright. Anything else?" Seiya asked.

"Could you take me and Lizzie to the amusement park tomorrow?" Ninako said.

"Sure." Seiya said and hung up.

"What was that about?" Kurai asked.

"Ninako's with a friend." Seiya said. "She thought we should check the Mugen school for the two Senshi. And she wants me to take her to Infinity C Park."

"What!?" Kurai said.. "The new amusement park!? I want to go."

"Well you can't." Seiya said. "You have to scout Mugen for those Senshi."

Kurai rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Well they are next to each other, in case anything happens."

Xxx

Princess Snow Kaguya turned to her Snow Daimons.

"Go through the Earth and find my Snow Crystal!" She cried, lifting her hands as snow fell to the planet below.

Xxx

The next morning, the Senshi were investigating the Delta and the Infinity School.

"So this is the Infinity School," Mana said. "I feel an aura. The power of a strong aura is pervading it."

"The density of the building space isn't correct," said Ava. "It's warped."

"This isn't an ordinary building wind," said Reiko. "It's disturbed. A storm is coming."

Kiana whirled around.

"Kia!?" Kurai said.

_"Again..."_ Kiana thought. _"Someone's eyes...!?"_

A figure behind a tree watched them from a distance.

Xxx

Ninako and Lizzie were riding the roller coaster.

Seiya and Souichi sat at a table waiting for them to get off..

"Aren't you going to ride it, Seiya?" Souchi asked.

"No, I really don't go for that kind of thing." Seiya said. "The girls are having fun. How old is Lizzie?"

"Oh I don't really know." Souichi said. "I adopted her two years ago and she didn't come with any papers. I assume she's about twelve years old. Her intelligence is beyond genius level, however. Her real name is Alisabeth Tsukino."

Seiya was shocked. _Why does she have Kurai's last name?!_

As she rode the roller coaster, Ninako's hat flew off into the sky.

Lizzie leapt off the ride and took off toward the Infinity district.

"Lizzie wait!" Ninako chased her.

"Oh no...they left the park to get her hat!?" Souichi said. "They're heading to the lab."

"Damnit..." Seiya ran off.

"There you are." Ninako stopped as she found Lizzie holding the hat. "What are you doing...?"

Xxxx

"The Infinity School. A kindergarten class, an elementary class, a junior high class, a high school class, a college, and a graduate class. It's a complete education in one school. The owner of the Infinity zone where the school stands is the school management. It looked like various other institutions also run it." Ava read.

"Guards at the entrance..." Kurai said. "They have the most advanced security system. What should we do?"

"I'll handle it." Reiko said. "Kogitsune Glamix!"

The four Fallen and Kurai transformed into Infinity students.

Kurai entered the magnificent building. "Wow..." she said. "It is private... A school with sixty floors. I don't believe it." She stopped as music filled the air.

The other four girls looked around.

"Such... a beautiful tone..." Kiana said.

Lizzie and Ninako looked around.

"A violin?" Ninako said.

They all began walking toward the sound.

_"It's outstanding..."_ Kurai thought. _"Who is it? Who's playing?"_ She peeked from behind a bush, and saw Theresa standing, playing a violin. _"The tune is sweet... Like waves..."_

Theresa looked up at Kurai.

The others stopped walking. "It stopped."

_"That look!?"_ Kiana thought. She whipped around and saw Sandra running toward them.

"You don't know what fear is," Theresa said to Kurai. "Coming to a place like this. It's dangerous. Someday your body will die."

"You shouldn't stick your neck out," said Sandra. "You can return safely now, but if you interrupt us, I will not pardon you."

"What are you doing there!?" a student called. "Tell me what class you're in!"

_"Busted!"_ Kurai thought. She ran away.

"Wait!" the student called.

_"Her eyes were piercing,"_ Kurai thought of Theresa. _"The pupils were dark and cold. It chilled me to the bone. Could she be... An enemy!?"_ She turned a corner. _"The backside of the building!? I have to get back to the others!"_

"Oh!" Ninako said. She picked up her hat. "Great. The hat I got from Seina-mama." She saw a high-tech building, with a sign in front written in kanji. _"Oh, can I read that?"_ she thought. _"...research labs?"_

Lizzie started coughing and doubled over.

"Ninaaaaako?" Seiya called. "Where did she go? I have to find her soon."

Ninako touched Lizzie's shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?"

Lizzie pushed her away. "I always have these fits," she said. "It'll pass in a minute. We have to leave. This area is off-limits."

Kurai came around a corner and saw them. "Ninako!? What are you doing!?" Kurai said. "Here by yourself. It's dangerous!"

"I lost the hat I got from Seina-mama," said Ninako. "Then my friend Lizzie... looked like she was in pain. But I guess she's fine."

_"An Infinity School uniform..."_ Kurai thought.

A black mass starts to appear. Snow began to fall around them.

Kurai and Ninako's brooches flash. "The Mystical Silver Crystal is reacting!?" A large monster grew out and swooped down at Ninako. _"Atavism!?"_ Kurai thought. "Ninako!?" she called. "Ninako! Watch out!"

Two figures shadowed by the moonlight stood in the distance.


	21. Fate

"Ninako!" Kurai called. Kiboken appeared in her hand. "SHINJITSU!"

The monster exploded. A white cat landed on the ground. "A cat!? The monster took hold of the cat!?"

Lizzie moaned. "You...!? Who are you?"

"_Damn_!" Kurai thought.

"We are the soldiers of justice, Sailor New Moon and Sailor Blue Moon!" said Ninako. "You okay? Weren't you hurt?"

Lizzie's eyes shone white. "You are the one who is hurt," she said.

"What?" Ninako said. She looked at her arm and saw blood. "Oh, you're right."

The girl held Ninako's arm.

Kurai whirled around. "Who's there!? Is the enemy still..."

The two shadowed figures run off into the moonlight.

Seiya and the other soldiers run up.

"Kurai!" Ninako called. "Look, my injury..."

_"It's gone!?"_ Kurai thought. _"That kid..."_

"When you get home, you should disinfect it," Lizzie said. She tied a handkerchief around Ninako's arm. "It's eerie. Since I was small... I've had this strange power."

"Sailor New Moon!" Seiya called. "Blue Moon!"

"You should leave this place at once," Lizzie said.. "If the guards find you, you'll be in trouble."

"Thanks," Ninako said.

Xxx

"Be careful," Kurai said. She walked off with Seiya and Ninako. "Hey, Ninako. You shouldn't give away our real identities so readily. We don't know what form the enemy could be taking!"

"Sorry... But I thought I could be friends with that kid. I liked Lizzie-chan. That pure-white skin... She was pretty."

_"That kid..."_ Kurai thought. _"She had the power to heal Ninako's injury..."_

Seiya, Taiki and Yaten were together now working on the computer and learned that the owner of the Infinity School and Moeto Research Labs is Moeto Souichi. -Lizzie's father.

Later that night, Queen Kaguya was sitting gazing into a pool of water at a castle and calling for the Three Talismans. At her anxious calls, Seiya's eyes open because he can sense the evil calls.

Seiya sits up in bed. Kurai and Ninako lie asleep next to him. _"Again. That dream... Someone is calling... for someone else to awaken... The three talismans? Ruin? Three talismans? Saying for us to come? Or else... Recalling the ruin. Trying to get us?"_

Xxx

"What is it?" Sandra said.

Theresa stared at her mirror. "I was thinking of fortunetelling, and it was interrupted. The mirror got cloudy. But then it cleared up."

Sandra put his arms around her. "Theresa... What we're doing. It might be useless. Whatever we do, it could already be too late."

"We knew that when we started, Sandra. The wheels of fate have spun. The new awakening will come soon. We will have all the three talismans."

Seiya walks down the street, reading a book on the Infinity School. "Professor Moeto..."

Theresa watches him. "Are you investigating the Infinity School?" she asks. "The owner, Professor Moeto, is very famous. Of course, he was expelled from the academic society..."

"Expelled?"

"There's part of the Infinity School, called the magician training school. Do you know of it? I wonder if it's because very versatile people attend it. Or else..."

A girl approaches them. "Excuse me..." she said. "Are you the violinist, Theresa-san?"

"Yeah."

"Wow! I'm a fan! Please sign this for me!"

Theresa takes the girl's signature board.

"The violinist, Theresa..." Seiya said. "Then, are you one of the versatile magicians too?"

"That's right," said Theresa. "I'm having a concert soon. I'll give you some tickets."

Kurai sees the two from a distance. _"That's... Seiya?"_ she thought. _"Why are they... together? She's one of the people we're watching. What are they talking about? Seiya?"_ She envisions the face of the shadowed sailor soldier. _"That person..."_

Kurai enters the Crown Game Center. She screams as someone yanks on one of her ponytails.

"Hey there!" Sandra said. "We meet again. Do you come here often?"

Kurai envisions the face of the soldier. "Sandra-san... She looked like... that masked soldier from before."

"Hey," she said. "Are you... a sailor soldier?"

Sandra's eyes widen. "What?" he said. "What's that? A sailor soldier?"

"I like the sound of that," Sandra said. "A soldier. Fighting. Do you and your friends all fight together?"

"Fight together!?" Kurai said.

"Don't go near Kurai!" voices call.

Sandra turns and saw the Fallen. "Hmph..."

Xxx

"A comet's heading for Earth!?" Mana said.

"Could it be...?" Reiko said. "The comet Kurai and Seiya were talking about at the party!?"

"Colliding with a heavenly body 10 kilometers in diameter..." said Ava. "The probability is one in a million of something like that happening."

Xxx

"A comet is going to collide with Earth?" Kurai said.

"They calculated its orbit," Seiya spoke. "Since its discovery, its orbit has changed, and now it's heading right for Earth! And it resembles your painting!"

"I see," Kurai said.

Seiya looked at her. "The comet's brilliance..." he said. "It's fading away. I can't see it anymore. Be relieved! It looked like it's gone."

"It's gone!" Kurai said. "Just now!"

"It must have burned up."

Ninako smiled. She looked at her bandage from Lizzie.

Xxx

"I don't believe it," Lizzie said. "Princess Snow Kaguya suddenly disappeared."

"That's surprising," said Souchi. "Very."

"We'll announce that it burned up abruptly when it approached the sun. It happens often. We shouldn't cause a big commotion. I didn't see a meteor shower. Strange... If it burned up, we should have seen one." Lizzie said.

"It's too bad you couldn't see the remains of the Princess, Lizzie." Souichi said.

"She's here," thought Ninako as she looked in the window. "Lizzie. I'll just return the handkerchief I borrowed." She slid it in.

Lizzie went to the window. "Ninako?"

Ninako jumped down. "Oh no! You saw me!"

"Come with me, Nina." Lizzie led her into the manor. "It burned up and disappeared. That's too bad."

"I'm inside your room again," Ninako said.

"What?" Lizzie said. She took the handkerchief from her. "This... Is this the handkerchief I bandaged your injury with? Amazing."

"Yes it's all healed now." Ninako said, sitting on her bed.

Lizzie removed a snow crystal and put it in a Petri dish.

"A crystal? It's shaped like a snowflake." Ninako said.

"It was in my eye." Lizzie looked unconcerned. "It looked like the comet and this piece just fell from the moon. It could be a lost article of Princess Kaguya. I believe Princess Kaguya lives on the moon."

"Is that why you named the comet 'Princess Snow Kaguya'?" A male asks.

Lizzie turned around. "Father!"

"Oh," Ninako tensed. "Hello Mr Moeto."

"You just talk about things in dreams," said Souchi. "That's why you're called ditzy by everybody. Even though you're a scientist."

"Souchi! Lizzie!" A Scientist called. "The meeting is starting!"

Lizzie got up to follow after her father.

A pain struck her in the chest, and she dropped to her knees.

"Lizzie!" Ninako cried. She ran to her.

"It's all right, Ninako," she said. "I get dizzy standing... That yellow ribbon tied to the bag of rice sugar candy. It would suit you."

She took the yellow ribbon off the bag and tied it around Ninako's neck.

"I'll come see you again, Lizzie." Ninako kissed her forehead.


	22. Death

The crescent shines on New Moon's forehead.

"All our spirits into one...!"

"The holy chalice is shining!" Fighter thinks.

"New Moon!?" says Blue Moon.

"Everyone...!" New Moon commands in loud voice that rings with power, order and rule.

The senshi halt.

"New Moon!?"

"Make our spirits one, to fight! We are warriors!"

"New Moon is..."

"Calling us..."

The three objects carried by the spirits glow.

"My talisman," says Chuu. "The mirror..."

"My talisman," says Cocoon. "The sword..."

"My talisman," says Nyx. "The staff..."

"They've started to resonate!?"

The lid on the chalice opens.

"Power to the Princess..."

"Power..."

The chalice shines as it rises above New Moon.

She glowed as she transformed into Super Sailor New Moon.

All the others glowed as their powers evolved.

"I feel..." Fauna thinks. "Stronger!?"

"New Moon!?" Cocoon says. "No, that's... Super Sailor New Moon!?"

"Super!?"

"Super!?" Cyprine and Ptitol gasp.

Xxx

Lizzie collapses on her bed in the Lab, clutching her head.

Bandiane stares into the pool. "New Moon! She powered up!?"

She looks into the sky. "Such grand energy! But the center of the power receives no damage!? I don't believe it! Super Power! What on earth is this power!?"

Lizzie coughs hard, kneeling on the floor. "My forehead hurts... Like it's splitting... I'm nauseous... It hurts... From my throat, from my forehead, from my whole body, something is trying to get out. It must not get out! It mustn't!"

Her voice and manner changes. "Super Sailor New Moon! That enormous power! What is it!? Does that give you all power!?" Lizzie stops coughing. Her eyes sparkle. "It's the power of the Princess," she says.

Xxx

"We won't be led astray any longer!" New Moon shouts. "I won't hesitate anymore."

She attacks.

The bodies of Cyprine and Ptitol are distorted in a flash of light, and vanish.

Xxx

"Damnit!" says Bandiane. "New Moon! My precious servants—defeated! The outsiders must be eliminated quickly. We were supposed to see the start of our new world here with the master. But things are happening like this! You have angered me, New Moon!"

Lizzie holds her amulet from the string. Her eyes sparkle. The image of Bandiane is projected on the amulet.

"Heh heh," says Lizzie. "My Queen...and I am the true Queen. The true Princess of Darkness." She holds her head. "My forehead's splitting!" She cries out in pain as she collapses.

Xxx

"I...!? I powered up...!?" New Moon thinks. "It suddenly came, then vanished. Power from the holy chalice..."

"Super!" calls Cocoon.

"It was power from everyone..." New Moon thinks. "Devoted to me from the holy chalice."

"The legendary holy chalice!?" thinks Fauna. "Is this the power of the legendary holy chalice!?"

"The talismans gave power to New Moon...!" says Fighter.

"There was this kind of power in our talismans..." says Coronis.

"I don't believe it," Nyx says. "The talismans were to awaken with a key... But like this..."

"Nyx!" says Chuu.

"I asked for all our spirits to become one," says New Moon. "I asked for you to lend me your strength. We can surely work with each other. I want to save everyone. I want to defeat the enemies. We both felt that way. Then with the legendary holy chalice, I truly became the Avatar. We can be as one like that. So we're the same kind of warriors. We're allies."

"Allies... Super..." thinks Cocoon. "No matter what we did, the talismans lent their power to New Moon so easily. The talismans are saying to tell New Moon the truth. Tell her the truth, and she won't be able to fight. We're the same soldiers..."

They go to an apartment high in the building. "Sandra's place."

"It's all messed up from the attack," says Kurai.

"The window glass is shattered."

"I can't wait to see the bill for the cost of the glass," says Theresa. "Plus the cost of redoing the broken furniture... However much it is, it's not enough. The rent here is one million a month."

"One million!?"

"Wh- Why is it so much!?" asks Mana. "Are your parents paying for it!?"

"Ehehe," Theresa says. "Since we have a patron, the price isn't a concern."

She looked at Sandra.

"Sandra..." says Theresa. "Kurai. No, Super Sailor New Moon. In what we can trace of our memory now, we saw the three talismans activated. It has only happened once before. Do you remember? When the world was destroyed. Then, leaving the territory we were to protect wasn't permitted. From far away, we sat watching over it. From a distance, where we were home, we heard the final cry of the world."

"No, don't talk about that," Kurai says. "It's like... my heart is breaking..."

Seiya holds her.

"What we carry, the strongest weapons of the outer solar system, the talismans, are beginning to resonate like we've never seen. We gathered them. Then, the beautifully shining talismans summoned, from the forbidden planet, the final warrior, who must not awaken. The warrior of darkness and destruction. Touched by Death's Spirit. Then we knew the end would come. We watched as she slowly brought down her death scythe and the world ended. Our power gave out."

"Death...!"

"The Spirit of Death appears at the moment of destruction. She takes all to nothing. She is the guide to death. When the three talismans are together, they will invoke the key that will call Death. We are the guardians of that key. The time when we gather them, the three talismans, that is the time of Death's awakening. The three talismans must not be able to be brought together. The time when Death awakens... Is the time of the death of this world. The time of the ruin of this world."

"Then these are the three talismans that will lead to ruin," says Ava.

"But, in my dream," says Seiya, "somebody was calling for the talismans to be gathered. Who was that...?"

"The territories we are to defend are far apart. We were never supposed to meet. We were reincarnated as humans on this planet, and again we met. The talismans were calling out. Invaders from outside. We can't stop anymore. We sensed that. We followed the invaders to their home. We found it, in the center of the cursed Delta, right under our noses. The enemies were there. Then the soldier of destruction was reborn..."

The face of the soldier is reflected in Kurai's mirror, held by Theresa

"Oh my god..." Kurai says.

"Is that... Lizzie?" says Ninako. "Is Lizzie touched by death!?"

Lizzie glares at the others.

"Is that why she left?! Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Death's awakening is near. The child's body is beginning to feel the effects."

"Lizzie's soul was calling for the talismans!?" thinks Kurai.

"Princess Kaguya," Reiko says. "As you know, you have a future. The ruin can't happen here, now. This is an accident. Lizzie's soul was reincarnated. Somewhere the wheels of fate have gone wrong."

"Why is this happening...?" Kurai asks.

"We don't know."

"But!" Ninako says. "Whatever happens, Death must not be allowed to awaken. Lizzie has to live!"

"What do you plan to do?" asks Seiya.

"Kill her. Then we'll completely seal Death away." Sandra said.

Ninako gasps, sparks flying from her fingertips. "I WON'T LET YOU!"

"That's..." Kurai says. "You're kidding, right!?"

"We don't know yet whether or not the three talismans will be activated. The talismans are resonating. They sent out the power to call Super Sailor New Moon. The talismans are full of power. Like the time... Like the time when the world was destroyed. The time when the talismans activate to call Death is near."

"And so you're going to kill her!?" Ninako says. "There has to be another way!"

"If there was, we'd use it," says Theresa. "We don't have long. The child's body... You've seen it, right, Ninako? She was seriously ill from an accident when she was 6 years old. It was a miracle she returned from her coma alive. As she had the best mind, she was the result of her insane father's abominable work. The child's small body has already been worn out."

"Isn't there any way to save her?" Kurai asks.

"There is only one way her body can be saved. That would be for her to become a soldier with power, and awaken as Death. But we can't let that happen."

"You have no right to cut off Lizzie's life to seal away Death!" Seiya says.

"So this world can live without following the path to destruction, we will kill the child. After we kill her, we'll defeat the enemies. If we do not, Death will surely awaken and destroy this world. Everything will vanish. Nothing will be left. We might not be able to stop it. But our mission now is to seal Death away before her awakening."

"No!" Ninako shouts. "No! You can't kill her! There is a way to save her! Death might not awaken. The future exists. The world won't be destroyed! We'll help her. We can save everything! You can't kill her! I'LL SAVE HER!"

"I thought you'd say that," Theresa says. "So you can't do the mission with me. This is where we part. You may hate me. For you, we may be enemies. Since there is no other way, I will do my duty. I will save the world."

She runs off with Sandra and Nyx and disappears in a flash of light.

"Theresa! Sandra! Nyx!"

"Lizzie is Death, who will call the ruin..." thinks Ninako. "Lizzie...Those deep eyes with a wondrous power. She always looked depressed. Lizzie..." He runs away.

"Ninako!" Kurai calls.

"It can't happen!" Ninako thinks. "I have to save her! I'm going to Lizzie's place! She can't be killed!" She climbs over the fence of the research lab. "This time I won't run away. Whatever form she's in, whoever she is, whatever her destiny is. She's my—-!"

Xxx

Soichiro sits outside the coronary care unit with Ninako.

"The crystal Lizzie was talking about..." Soichiro says. "It fell from the sky the day he found the comet. The crystal grew with amazing speed. It was clearly an unknown crystal. The unknown crystal's elements caused Lizzie to see hallucinations. That crystal is dangerous."

"Bandiane..." Ninako thinks. "The comet... Oh my..." He sat onto the couch. "It wasn't a hallucination, Professor," she says.

"You might not be able to believe this," says Ninako, "but it's an invader. And it's from that comet."

"An invader... Could it be that unknown life form?" Soichiro asked.

"The crystal could be a part of it as well. Lizzie might have been targeted... She might be attacked again. We should deal with that crystal."

"That can't be..." Soichiro says. "Lizzie is being targeted by the unknown life form?"

"It's not just Lizzie," thinks Ninako. "This planet could be being targeted too. Lizzie..."

"The point where the comet vanished." Soichiro holds onto the mirror. They fade away and reappear in space, where they see the comet flying before them.

"The comet!?"

"Who's there!?" says the spirit. "You people are standing in the way of my path!"

"You made it appear that it vanished," Soichiro says, "and you've been hiding it! What do you want!? Invader! Get out of here now!"

Ninako transformed. "SACCHARO!"

"Hahaha!" Bandiane says. "You fools are like babies! What can you do!" She knocks the two back. "Hahaha!" They disappear.

"I thought that I'd slowly hide this planet," Bandiane says. "Now with the energy of my four and a half billion years alone, I will cover this planet. This planet is mine."

Blue Moon reappear in Kurai's room.

Theresa sit above in a tree. "Is that... Ninako!?"

Ninako runs to the door and sees Kurai sprawled on the floor, having been struck by Bandiane.

Kurai's eyes open. They sparkle. A gust of wind blows out, shattering the glass of the door.

"What!?" Bandiane thinks.

"That sound!?" thinks Soichiro.

"Ninako!" Seiya calls, sensing his daughter's fatal danger.

A hand snakes out from Kurai, and delved deep in Ninako's chest. It dragged out a blazing blue light—her blue moon crystal—and dragged it away. Ninako collapses.

"Ninako!" Seiya calls. He runs to Ninako.

Kurai's eyes glow, and her hair grows out long, all over the floor around her. Her eyes are dead, her skin like rotting flesh, and she held Ninako's crystal.

"Ninako!" Reiko calls as she appears with the others.

Kurai glares up at them, and they're all forced back.

"That's-!? Is that Kurai!?"

"Oh no!" Seiya thinks. "That monster is back! We truly haven't vanquished it!"

He took a step toward the transformed girl.

Kurai smiles as a black star shines on her forehead. "I've got it," she says. "I've got it! Her crystal is mine! I've awakened! Heh heh! Ahahahaha!"

Seiya holds the unconscious Ninako in his arms. "Nina!?"

"Ninako!?" Seiya says. "Her body's cold... Ninako!? She's not breathing!?"

"The comet hasn't vanished..." whispered Ninako with final breath. "The comet is aimed at this planet...If it continues on that course, it'll collide with Earth...The planet is in danger..."


	23. Crystal's Power

"I can't do anything," Lizzie says. "She's dying."

Seiya gasps. "No... It can't be..."

"Would you leave us?" Kurai asks.

Taiki and Yaten leave.

"Ninako! Ninako!?"

"Her body's stiffening..." Seiya says. "And getting cold... Kurai... killed her!"

"Her soul has been stolen.", comes the voice of Lizzie.

"Lizzie!" Seiya says. "Her soul!?"

"The spirit Bandiane have targeted the souls of humans," says Lizzie. "They steal spirits. Then they unite the soulless bodies as vessels. The utilization. They convert human bodies into one. Those are Bandiane's creatures!"

"Steal spirits!? Human bodies into one!? Then, Kurai... That form... was..."

"It was not the awakening of Death," says Lizzie. "The three talismans are not yet activating."

"I hadn't thought about this happening," says Lizzie. "Kurai was long ago utilized by them. That isn't Kurai any longer. It's an enemy! When she took Ninako's crystal, she was also stealing Ninako's spirit."

"Ninako and Kurai..." says Seiya. "What will happen to them!?"

"The spirits of the utilized ones," Lizzie says, "live as sustenance. But even if the utilization is a success, they will soon revert to monsters. If that happens... then they cannot be saved. It's impossible after that, whatever form they take living in this world."

"The ones we defeated before," thinks Seiya, "were humans merged with enemies... If they change into monsters soon, they can't be saved...!"

"Kurai has already been seized by the enemies," says Lizzie. "But it will be easy to do. Soon she will suffer and be destroyed. We will kill her before she suffers."

"But...!"

"She has Ninako's spirit and her crystal!" Lizzie says. "What would you have us do!? If you want Ninako saved, you have to fight and take them back! If we don't kill her, we'll be killed. Even if Death doesn't awaken, destruction will come. Kill or be killed. Which would you choose? We're going. Not just for Ninako, but to save everyone!"

"Right," Seiya thinks. "Unless we save the planet... The enemies I've defeated before... Humans and enemies merged... And Kurai, too..."

Lizzie looks down at Ninako. "If it keeps going like this," he says. "Ninako blood not flowing... He really will die. Let's take him to my place."

"There's no time," Seiya thinks. "If we don't hurry and get her spirit back... We won't be able to save Ninako!"

They go to Lizzie's apartment.

"Ninako's body and mine are linked," Lizzie says. "I'll use my body's life maintenance system to keep Ninako body alive." She holds Ninako's hand, and it starts to glow.

"But then your body will be burdened..." says Seiya.

"It's all right. Ninako and I are one now. I can at least keep this one body alive. It's no problem, it'll be fine."

Seiya sits by Ninako's bed, tearing up.

"Could you leave us alone for a while?" Seiya asks the others.

They look at Ninako, then leave the room.

"Ninako... I can't choose. Ninako. Kurai. The people of this planet. I can't abandon them! I can't choose between them for us. Will it not just lead to ruin? Us... And then the world..."

Lizzie feels Ninako hand. "My power is spreading," she thinks. "It feels like Ninako is alive. What should I do? What..."

"Seiya."

"Oh," he thinks. He sees the image of a devastated city. A shadowed figure stands atop a ruined pillar. "Again. This vision... "

"We'll get them back, Lizzie," he says. "Ninako's spirit, and her crystal. We'll do everything we can. Don't lose hope. Hope..."

"That vision..." he thinks. "Is that... the Messiah? Or else, Death?"

Xxx

Kurai cuts off a lock of her long, dark hair. "I cut and I cut, it grows back," she says. "Crappy hair. This is limited and inconvenient, being a vessel. I'm uncomfortable in this human body."

Professor Soichiro rushes into the room with Bandiane. "Sadako!" he says as he kneels. "We have been awaiting your arrival. For a long time.."

Sadako grabs her head.

"She's awakening now..." thinks Bandiane.

Sadako walks to the stone hall.

"Oh, I've been waiting for this," Bandiane says. "Sadako!"

"Great Queen Bandiane!" She raises her hand, and energy flows to Bandiane.

"You've just awakened," Bandiane says, "and you're already bringing power. What power is this!? These souls are the beginning...!"

"Bandiane, one moment. This is not from souls. It's the Fledgling's Crystal! I've finally gotten it. We can keep this great power to ourselves. The crystal!" She goes to her room, carrying the brooch. "Wondrous light. Like something dwells inside it. It puts me at ease with its holy brilliance."

_**"Naturally. It's defended by Ninako's strong, powerful spirit."**_

"Who's that!? Is it someone inside of me trying to push out...? It's because of my spirit. It's giving me strength... With this Crystal, there's nothing for us to fear anymore!"

"Hey, Sadako!" Moeto says. "We're running out of eggs. The utilization, to steal souls by planting the eggs, is the only way for us to live in this world."

"But, the completion of the master's utilization will become unnecessary. The birth of our new world is close at hand. Heh heh! Ahaha! Close at hand!"

Bandiane stands in the center of a circle on the ground. Smoke surrounds her. A bat flies in. She grabs it in the air and rips out its heart, squeezing the blood into a glass. "Our servants," she says. "Before my warriors are resurrected..." Five figures steam from the glass, taking the shape of the senshi. "I will place a curse on these ones. A curse that will never be lifted... Heh heh heh..."

Xxx

Seiya walks down the street, and sees the four girls. "Everyone!" she says. "Let's go. To get Ninako spirit back! To the Academy!"

As they approach the center of the Delta, they see the building overgrown with trees and vines.

"The Academy has gotten like this overnight..."

"It's full of amazing energy," says Reiko. "The air, the plants, the building. The abnormal power is making everything go mad."

"The power is forming into a dome shape over the Infinity zone," says Mana. "It looks just like an omega shape."

"Let's go," says Ava.

"Sandra, Theresa, Moa," thinks Seiya. "Am I choosing the wrong path...? If I do this, will we not be able to fight together?"

"Fighter..." Moa thinks. "It's regrettable, but I will put Kurai to death. To death..."

"Heh heh... They're here. The carriers of the powerful light. Along with Fighter." A door appears though the trees.

"An entrance opened!?" They walk into the building.

The two identical women bow. "Greetings. Welcome to the Infinite Labyrinth."

"Cyprine!? Ptitol!?"

Xxx

Mana sees darkness all around him. "What the-!? Aang!? Where is everyone!?" He sees a sign in the hallway that says, "Etiquette Class." He rushes into the room.

"How impolite," says Eudial. "As instructor of manners and etiquette at the Infinity School, Arimura Yuuko, I'll teach you a lesson."

"Eudial!?" Mana thinks. "But I defeated her before!" The door slams shut behind her. "Oh no! I don't have time to fight you!"

"Too bad! I am Eudial, warrior of the flame! You have been selected as my match!" She jumps up and kicks Mana down.

Mana gets to her knees, breathing hard.

"You really don't want to fight?" Eudial asks. "I see. You don't have the fighting spirit. You won't only fight for Aang. Your whole body is saying you want to know etiquette and military arts."

Xxx

"Fighter!?" calls Yaten. "Everyone!? Hey! Where are you!?" She turns a corner and enters a room full of plants. "This is-!"

"Welcome, to the Infinity botanical garden. I am its caretaker, Teruno Ruru."

"You!? Tellu!?"

Tellu sits Yaten down. "You don't need to fight today. Okay?"

"Wow!" Yaten says. "It's full of roses! La France, the first breed of hybrid T! These are soleil dolls!" She picks a flower up. "My heart's softening..." she thinks. "What was I coming here to do... I'm so tired... Fighting is absurd... I want to stay here forever... It's my dream. To spend a carefree lifetime in a rose garden, with someone I love..."

Xxx

"Everyone!?" Fighter calls. "Oh no! Have we been split apart!? Have we fallen into enemy hands!? That was careless. Where is this!? Everyone...?"

The other two appear before her, scratched and bruised.

"Mana! Yaten!" The figures begin to melt.

"It's your fault we're coming apart," they say. "We won't fight anymore..." They jump at Fighter, covering him in melted goop.

Ninako appears behind him. "It's your fault, Fighter." She grabs Fighter around the throat.

"Ow! You're... hurting me... Ninako...!?"

"We'll help you too, Ninako," says Reiko.

"We think you're an annoyance, Fighter!" says Kurai.

"Kurai! Ninako! Reiko!"

"I want to be free, Seiya!" says Kurai. "I'll kill Ninako and Kurai! And then Fighter! You too!"

"Kurai!"

Xxx

Lizzie jumps up from her chair beside Ninako. "Fighter!? He's being bewitched! Fighter!"

Xxx

"No! I can't be bewitched! You're hallucinations! Everyone!" Her fuku begin to glow. Light flashes around her, and she's alone. "Everyone!?"

"Fighter!" says Theresa. She shows him her mirror. It shows a tall, thick column, holding the bodies of Mana and Ava.

"We'll break through the barrier!" Sandra says and snaps the barrier with her mirror's power. They rush inside to the column and free the others.

Seiya hugs Sandra and Theresa. "Yes..." he thinks. "It really is the same feeling. They couldn't abandon us. Together... I wanted to fight. We'll join our powers to fight. Then if my power becomes strong... Even the impossible can approach possibility."

They form a circle, putting their hands in the center. Light begins to glow.

Seiya transformed into a more powerful state, but without New Moon, he couldn't hold it long.

"That light!" thinks Bandiane.

"Messiah!" Moa calls. "Up! The president's office!" They go up to the 56th floor of the building, and run into the office, where Bandiane is. Five figurines are on a table. "Those are-! Wax dolls shaped like us!?"

"You've undone the finest work of Queen Bandiane," Bandiane says. "You won't bother us anymore!" She mutates into a giant monster.

"A monster!"

"I'll save this planet!" Seiya shouts and attacks.

The monster vanishes in a swirl of light. The amulet drops to the floor and shatters.

"Whatever delusions fill this labyrinth," Seiya says, "I won't give up hope! Let's search! For Kurai!"

"She's found her way to this fortress," thinks Sadako. "She even blew away Queen Bandiane. Although...she was no true Queen of Darkness. That title belongs to me! Fighter! The time has come. The time for this Fire Nation to be our sacred land. There's no longer anything for us to fear." Her eyes sparkle. "With the Crystal of the Fledgling..." Power flows out of the crystal in her hands, into her body.

xxx

Ninako's body begins to glow.

"Ninako!?" Lizzie says.

xxx

"Ohh... Strength! From deep in my body, I'm filling with it! As soon as I took it in, my insides were overflowing! This is the power of the Fledgling's Crystal! Oh, I can feel it! The power! The light of life similar to Death itself! It's been opened! So that is the power of the Blue Crystal!"

At that moment a pair of silvery blue eyes opened deep within the soul of the demonic Sadako.

Kurai was waking up—and she wasn't going to allow Ninako to die.


	24. Protection

Ninako's body glows.

"Ninako!?" Lizzie says. "This light!? What's happening!?"

Her eyes open.

"Heh heh heh!" Sadako says. "More power! Open up more power!"

Ninako's body begins to shake. "Ninako!?"

"No!" Kurai says. "I have to hold it in... The power must not be increased further! The power must not be opened! The power of the Ninako's Crystal cannot be sent out easily to you!"

Sadako cries out. "My forehead! My forehead is splitting! It's scorching! Ohhh... Somebody is controlling my body from inside me! I have to endure a little more. My Queen. If I complete the utilization, I won't have such an inconvenient body... I'll get rid of it. I'll rule this puny world!"

"That can't happen!"

Ninako floats through the air. "Where is this!? It's dark, and scary. Why am I here?Something's been coming after me! I'm scared! Somebody help me!"

"Ninako-chan..." Kurai calls.

"Huh?" Ninako looks around and sees a shining crystal. "Oh. My Crystal!" She floats down to get it. "Great. I was worried when I didn't have it. Without it my body couldn't hold up. It's a part of my body."

"That's right. It is of one mind with you and your heart. You can't be away from it. And you shouldn't easily show it to people. Protect your spirit softly."

"Mother...? It's you! I feel at ease."

"It's all right," Kurai says, holding her. "I'll give you protection. I won't let them get your beautiful, pure spirit, and the crystal. I'll be sure to save you."

"The crystal's power has weakened!?" says Sadako. It is because Ninako has control over it again.

"Ninako!?" says Lizzie. "Her convulsions stopped!? Her hand... is warm. Is somebody... protecting Ninako's spirit!?"

xxx

The others are all inside the Infinity Labrynth now.

"You can see the Delta and Tokyo Bay from here," says Seiya. "Lots of buildings under construction... Like ruins hiding black monsters... Ruins... That image of ruins... I don't want to think that's a vision of the future! I want to defeat these enemies, whose form we can't see, quickly. I want to live without feeling this anxiety, and return to the peace of before! Unless we hurry and rescue Kurai-chan, Ninako's spirit, and her crystal... The time of Death's awakening... The time of the end of the world... Can we return to the peace of before...? Ninako...! Kurai-chan..."

"No good," says Sandra, his eyes looking out. "I can't get a read on the internal structure or their coordinates. And I can't find any life signs at all..."

"A lot of strong power is accumulating in the Infinity zone," says Theresa. "It has a strong influence. Now this land is becoming chaotic."

"Let's go to the basement," Moa says. "The labs are concentrated in the basement. We might be able to encounter the daimons."

"Let's divide into two groups," says Sandra. "While we investigate the floors one by one, down from this one, the 56th, you go down to the bottom. Seiya, take the elevator to the basement with Moa. I'll go with Theresa."

"Two groups..." Seiya thinks.

Sandra smiles. "Be careful." She leaves with Theresa.

"Sandra, Theresa..." Seiya calls faintly.

"Let's go," Moa says. "To the basement." They get in the elevator.

"Heh heh heh," Moeto says, working in the lab. "Seems they've boarded the elevator. A death sentence. The pretty ones who carry the lights of the planets' protection. The time has come! The grand occasion of the fruits of my long-awaited dream! My life-work. The superhuman. Hundreds of times a human's brains and physical strength. Tens of times longer a lifespan. Just a little more genetic operation and medicine administration. Then it will be possible to make the cyborg. I'm a genius. They'll be sorry they outcast me. For my research, I've chosen this Omega Area. The heavens gave me another chance since the accident. After the accident, I greatly reconstructed Kurai's body. It was the birth of the fruit of my dream, the superhuman. During that biggest experiment..."

A blast strikes the building.

"Professor!" Bandiane calls. "Lightning!" A bolt hits her.

"Bandiane!"

"They descended... Carrying eggs from another world. God chose me. I made a blunder in Lizzie's great reconstruction. I found a chance to use an egg of the utilization. I produced beautiful, perfect beings. Next, our loving monster! I won't miss making the failures for us, the rulers of the Black Dream hole. My experiments are for you. If our master's utilization is completed, we can survive completely. But I will continue the utilization by all means! I will get more perfect ones like me! A human has been united with foreign living things. I am clearly the inventor of the new creation, the superhuman. I am its god!"

The elevator descends.

"I- I'm nauseous..." Seiya says.

"You okay, Fighter?" Moa asks. "Guess even the great Fighter can't go against gravity on an elevator."

"It's picking up speed," Seiya thinks. "Just like... I'm falling endlessly to hell... Scary..."

"I wonder if Sandra and Theresa are okay," Seiya says.

"Did you want to go with them?" asks Moa. "They should be fine."

"Aren't you scared? Never mind! Being trapped in this building of ghosts and this never-ending elevator is getting to me. From here on, we'd fight the big enemy. Or so I thought. I feel like I'm all alone. It's scary. I just feel a bad premonition coming..."

"Don't call this solitude," Moa says. "Solitude extends more, infinitely. Like the places where we were."

"Tell me," Seiya says. "What kind of places were you at, Moa?"

"Deserted places. Where there's nobody. Completely alone. No one will come to help you. Lonely places."

"But, in any time," says Moa, "we looked back at the distant New Moon. That was our only ray of light."

"Yes," says Moa. "When that light shined, it brought us strength. There was nothing we couldn't do."

"Whenever we were about to give up," says Moa, "that light always led us on."

"This is taking long," Seiya says. "Too long. I'm worried about the others."

The elevator shakes around. The door opens, and they're tossed out of it. They fall through the darkness.

"Fighter!"

"Moa!" Seiya calls. He loses sight of them. "Darkness everywhere. I'm scared...! Moa! I can't hear her voice! Where are they!? Sandra! Theresa! I'm worried. We shouldn't have separated back there. Reiko, Ava, Mana, Kiana! Kurai! Ninako! Without everyone, I can't do anything. What should I do!? All alone here is the darkness. What can I do!?"

_"That was our only ray of light."_

_"When that light shined, it brought us strength. There was nothing we couldn't do."_

_"Whenever we were about to give up, that light always led us on."_

Seiya sees a point of light high above.

"Always... Everyone is shining on me, leading me... When I'm about to be crushed, I always remember. I'm carrying a light in my heart too. That's the spirit of all of us, in one. Just believe. For the moment that light shines down...!"

He raises his arm to the light.

"I am Fighter! With the strength given to me by everyone, I will shine through the darkness and make it light! I won't yield to any darkness or delusions!"

He attacked.

Seiya and Moa crash to the bottom of the elevator. The door opens.

"Welcome to my lab," Moeto says. "I've been looking forward to this. Heh heh. My pretty monsters are feeling hungry."

The monsters chase after Seiya.

Moa attacked with her powers, and The monster tear apart.

"Heh heh heh! Still more! I can make any amount of monsters! Ahahaha!"

"Stop it!" Seiya says. "We don't want to fight you here. Where's Kurai-chan!?"

"Kurai? Formerly the princess. She's at the holy sanctuary now, devoting the light similar to the Crystal Points, the power of the Blue Moon Crystal, to our Queen!"

"Queen!?"

"The Queen's quickening has finally begun! It's too bad, but this place will be your graveyard! You will be my first victims! I am Gelm!" He mutates into a large monster.

"A monster!?"

"I am not like the monster," he says. "I am a superhuman! The union of human and outside life! Die!" A blast of light shoots out. The soldiers jump away.

"Until seconds ago, this was a soldier!" Seiya thinks. He narrowly dodges an attack.

"This isn't a human anymore!" Moa says. "It's a monster! An enemy!"

She attacked; The monster knocks her away.

"Moa!" Seiya calls. He attacked.

The monster is ripped apart in a burst of light.

"Who's that!?" Seiya says. "It... seemed like someone was there..."

The ground begins to shake.

"Something's coming!" Moa says.

She used her powers and a sphere of light forms around them.

"What's that!?" Seiya says. "Something's crashing out through the ceiling!? They're up there! Sandra! Theresa!"

"Is something coming from below!?" Moa says.

The floor breaks apart as light blasts through it. The two are thrown into the air.

Seiya's transformation fades back to basic.

"Fighter!?"

"My transformation came undone! Did the connection of spirits break!? Did something happen to the others' bodies!? Sandra! Theresa!"

They float up through the hole in the ceiling, outside. The sky above is swirling with colors.

"The sky!?"

They see a glass room at the building's entrance.

"Something's inside the building! That's...!"

Sadako stares at them with a demonic grin. "Heh heh heh."

"That's... Kurai-chan!?"


	25. Death and Life

Seiya stands atop a pillar in the crescent moon's light.

"That light always led us on... Just like Fighter..."

"Something strange is happening to the sky!?" Moa says.

"Kurai!?" Seiya calls. "No, that form is... A monster!?"

The earth rips open in front of the building, and the building is torn apart. It collapses in the center of the Delta.

"The Academy building!"

The reflecting pool soars into the air, carrying four balls of light with it. Two bodies are held inside.

"That's...!? Reiko! Mana!" Seiya flies after them. "Ava! Kiana!" As he approaches, he's knocked away. "I can't get near it! Everyone!?"

"Look!" Sandra says. "That...!? Something's covering the sea! That's...!?"

"We interrupt this for a national emergency broadcast!" the TV reporter says. "This is an emergency warning announcement! First class martial law has been officially declared in the coast area! A mysterious giant explosion is occurring in the coast area! The center of the Delta is also experiencing a severe earthquake of unknown magnitude. Martial law has been declared! Residents should take refuge at once..."

"Heh heh heh..." says Sadako. "The time has come. Now with the energy that's been accumulated, Queen Bandiane will assimilate this planet. The time of the utilization!"

"Assimilate this planet!?"

"When the utilization is completed, this land will be one with Queen Bandiane. It will become a Black Hole. This planet will become our mother world! Heh heh heh! Ahahahaha!"

Theresa looks in her mirror, then toward the sea.

"Theresa!?"

"The sea is subsiding all at once," Theresa thinks. "Is it foreboding a tidal wave!?"

"The sky is looking strange," thinks Sandra. "Is a storm coming? Or else, is something coming through the space...?"

"If things go like this, there will be a huge earthquake," thinks Sandra.

Sandra, Theresa and Moa jumped into the air.

"Sandra! Theresa! Moa!" Seiya calls.

"I must protect this land."

She landed on top of a building in the corner of the Delta.

Sandra raised her weapon. "The Sacred Land. This planet where our Princess was born, lost though she may be."

Theresa raised her weapon. "I will defend this world!"

Moa cried. "That is my mission!"

A beam of light shot into the sky, meeting above the Academy.

"Making a force field?" Sadako says. "Useless."

"Sandra! Theresa! Moa!" Seiya calls.

"When the master's utilization is completed, it will no longer be necessary for me to stay inside a human body!" Sadako bends over. "I can't work freely!? I can't get out!"

"You won't escape!"

"Who's that!?"

"This body is still mine," Kurai says. "You won't get out of it! I won't let you be free!"

"I thought you has disappeared near the food inside me. But you're still living, stubbornly. Your tiny soul! I took in the princess' Blue Moon Crystal and powered up. Now I have no reason to control you. I will cast off this body and break it to pieces!"

"You can tear it to pieces! It will scatter apart! But Ninako's spirit, and her crystal. Whatever happens, I'll protect them!"

"Impudent humans! Nobody will stop me!"

Seiya attacked.

Sadako raises her arm, and Seiya is knocked back.

"From the full crystal of Ninako," she says, "you can't take my power! Power! More power!" She looks up at the pool in the air. "The warrior's souls!"

"Mana! Reiko! Kiana! Ava!"

The light left their bodies, and they collapsed in the empty pool.

Seiya flew up to them. "Everyone! Hold on!"

Sadako licks her lips.

"Oh no!" Seiya says. "Did she steal their spirits!? No...!"

Kurai sees the four warrior's bodies floating in space. She goes over and clutches five balls of light.

"Troublesome worms!" Sadako says. "Bring me souls!" Kurai cries out in pain.

"With the power of my body, I might be able to protect Ninako's Crystal, and the spirits of Ninako and the four soldiers...! My spirit was seized by them. It is my death... But why is this all I can do? My life is gone... I have nothing anymore... But why do I still have power? If I'm this strong... Inside of me, I feel another, bigger me. That me is saying to keep life, and save everyone. All I can do is to take these three spirits, and Ninako's crystal, and rescue them from here!"

A ball of light bursts out of Sadako. "Damn!" she says. "The souls are being taken away! But, now I am free!"

Seiya looks up. "That white light..."

Four lights come out of it, and go into the bodies of the soldiers. They slowly open their eyes.

"Everyone!" Seiya says. He faintly sees Kurai watching him, smiling. Kurai turns into a ball of light and flies away.

"Kurai!"

xxx

Lizzie opens her eyes. She gets up and feels Ninako's forehead. "I dozed off. Ninako..."

Kurai's spirit sits in the open window.

"Who are you!?" Lizzie says.

Two lights enter the room. One goes into Ninako's body, the other becomes Ninako's crystal and sinks inside her chest.

Ninako opens her eyes.

"Ninako!"

"Lizzie..." Ninako sits up, and sees the spirit.

"Good."

"Kurai!?"

"I was able to save you, Ninako. I'm happy. It's good. It's strange. It must have been fate that we met."

"I thought that too," Ninako says. They hold hands. "Mother..."

Sadako mutates into a large monster.

Kurai screams.

"Kurai!?"

"It's good we met. I'm glad we became close, daughter. Thank you. Goodbye."

Her spirit fades away. "Kurai!?"

Xxx

"Kurai...?" Seiya thinks.

"This... This sad fate..." thinks Ninako. She starts to cry. "Kurai... There are people who must live this fate..."

Lizzie's fist tightens. "Ninako," he says. "Can you fight with me, to help Seiya?"

Ninako looks up. "I can fight. I won't cry anymore. I am a sailor soldier too. With the life Kurai brought back to me, I'll fight with all my might!" She appears in her sailor suit. She wipes her eyes. "Lizzie! You gave me strength. Thank you! We might not have power like Seiya and Kurai, but let's go fight together!" He runs out of the room.

"Amazing," Lizzie thinks. "Wondrous, full of power. It's more like I've been given strength from Ninako. And Kurai's power too. Warriors! I'll be there soon!"

The monster roars as it rises over the Academy.

"Seiya!" Reiko says. "That thing! What is it!? It looks strange. It seems like it's in pain!"

The monster screams as it approaches them.

"Oh no!"

Ninako attacked it.

The monster falls back.

"Ninako!"

"Ninako!" Seiya says. "How...?"

"Mother saved me," she says. "She gave her life, and protected me."

"Kurai gave her life..." Seiya thinks. "She's gone... Kurai..."

"What are you doing!" Ninako calls. "Quickly! Transform!"

"I can't. Kurai gave me that power!"

"If you don't act, this planet will be eaten away by that thing! Reiko is using a huge amount of power to sustain that force field. Hurry and defeat it!"

Suddenly Super Sailor New Moon appears in a ball of light, reborn.

"Super Sailor New Moon!" the others say.

"Yes," Kurai thinks. "I must protect it. I must save this planet!"

She transformed into Princess Super Sailor New Moon.

"Now join our power together!"


	26. Reincarnation

Seiya covers Ninako as explosions rip apart the city. Buildings collapse to the ground.

"Everyone... Everyone... Disappearing." The sea crashes around them. "The world... is ending..."

Seiya drops to her knees, tears in his eyes.. "Kurai... Kurai...! I couldn't protect you...!"

"Messiah..." Theresa says.

"Damn," Sandra says. "Can't we do anything!? Everything will be destroyed. I... I just wanted to protect that girl! That was all!"

"Death...!" Moa says.

A point of light appears in the center of the city. It rises up into the air, clearing everything away. A figure lies inside the sphere of light.

"Messiah...!" Seiya calls. "Princess Super Sailor New Moon!?"

Kurai opens her eyes, eyes glowing.

The others all look up.

"Messiah!" Seiya says.

Kurai looks at herself. "I...?"

"Attack! Attack!" the monster says. "To this world! Reduced to being drawn by gravity to the darkness of the graveyard! Our home of death!"

"It's beautiful," says Lizzie. "The suffering of the moment of destruction. Now! Right away! The guide to death will lead to the world of silence and nothingness!"

"Death!?" Kurai says. "Like this, we'll be drawn to outer space together!"

"Oh no!" the others think. "Together!?"

"I don't feel despair," Lizzie says. "Along with death, there is always hope and rebirth. You will cause that, Princess Super Sailor New Moon.", indicating that although Lizzie can bring death and destruction, Kurai is the one who can bring back life and rebirth.

"Death...!"

"Messia, because you opened up the Ultimate Power, you can save this planet. For my rebirth, I eliminate death and destruction. Soon the world will be this chosen land. The sacred power is on your side. Moa! Forever shut the passage to the other world!"

"Lizzie!"

"Hurry!"

"My Key Staff!" Moa says. " Give me power! Close the door of the broken law!"

The space-time door appears, sucking in energy.

Death smiles as she slowly fades into it. The door closes.

"Lizzie!" Seiya yells.

It vanishes.

Kurai stares into the sky.

"Along with death... Hope and rebirth begin."

He raised his hands into the air. Buildings are reconstructed, and the people wake up.

"The city..." Sandra says. "The people are being resurrected!"

"Kurai...?"

Kurai stands atop a devastated pillar in the center of the ruined building, holding up his hands.

"The messiah..." Seiya says. "So it was you...Kurai."

They hear a cry from below. "Someone is" Sandra runs to the sound. He finds Lizzie lying there naked, a cloth over her.

"Lizzie?" Sandra says.

"She was reincarnated...?" says Theresa.

"We will care for your second child." Sandra put his jacket on her and helped her up.

"I love you Sandra." Theresa said.

"And I love you."

The two kissed. Moa joined them

"Theresa! Sandra!" Kurai says.

"Princess...!"

"We'll be going," Sandra says. "Since we've been given a new mission. Since you're important."

"You're going?" Kurai says. "Where?"

"We'll see," Theresa says. "Maybe far away. Maybe close."

"Will we see you again?"

"Yes, of course," Moa says. "Kurai. We're allies. We'll certainly meet again."

"Right," says Theresa. "We're allies. We'll meet again soon. For sure. Seiya, Kurai, Taiki, Yaten, Reiko, Kiana, Ava, Mana, Ninako... We love you. We will return to you again." She hands them her mirror. "A sign of our promise."

"Theresa...!" Ninako says.

"Look in this mirror. Until we meet again, become a stronger, stronger soldier. Protect our precious Princess."

The soldiers disappear with the baby. "Theresa! Sandra! Moa!" Kurai calls.

Seiya and Kurai run to the place where Sandra lives. They go up to his room. "Sandra!?" They burst through the door, and see the room empty.

The other two find the same thing at Theresa and Moa's condos. They all hear a noise outside, and rush to the patio decks.

The two are flying off in their helicopters.

"We will surely meet again. Moa. Sandra. Theresa. And Lizzie. Again, someday... Surely!"


End file.
